MARK TWAIN

indeed, as I did not care for the money involved, the 500
royalties producing much more than I shall ever need
but then I wanted some trifling evidence that I could
exhibit to myself, in proof that I had not been dealt with
in an absolutely shameless conscienceless way.

In reply I got an abundance of gilt-edge promises but
nothing more.

Charles K. Davis was here two or three nights ago. He
said he still holds the paper which Paige dictated to him
one day, to quiet him, in which he says that no matter
what happened he and I would always share and share
alike in the results of the machine, or words to that effect.
Paige shed even more tears than usual. What a talker he
is. lie could persuade a fish to come out and take a walk
with him. When he is present I always believe him—I
cannot help it. When he is gone away all the belief evap-
orates. He is a most daring and majestic lian He said he
had put (me million three hundred thousand dollars into
that machine since he began it. Then as much as $800,000
must have gone into and out of his large pocket within
the last two years. He is absolutely frank in his confes-
sions of misconduct. He said he never intended to sign
the Fairchild contract—he was only playing Kairchild.

lie meant to scoop some money out of him, and he did;
that is not his exact expression. 1 cannot recall the words
but they were still more conscienceless and atrocious than
this. He said he got several thousand dollars out of Fair-
child. He said he played Mallory for all he was worth.
That he never intended to have any dealings with Mallory
from the beginning, but that he got #16,000 out of him
and made himself strong and able to go ahead without
any help from Mallory or Fairchild.

Up to this point the note was dictated to Hall.
Clemens himself now adds:

Said he paid those men back, afterwards. Seemed to

232