bartha comes forward passing the captain and sidney. sidney moves to intercept him.
who told you about it?
what is this, blackmail? beat it!
loretta. sidney falco.
you ought to stop this nonsense, loretta, these two dollar bets.
that's right! tell him, so i can read it in hunsecker's column first!
will you mind your own business!
i don't print blind items.
waiter, the check. this man is trying to hold a gun to my head!
what do you want to tell my wife, sidney?
go on, tell her, i'm waiting!
he glances unhappily at his wife.
lorry, i can't let this man blackmail me.
he wants me to print a dirty smear item for keeping his mouth shut
foolishly, lorry, and i hope you'll understand.  this cigarette girl. i was kidding around with her. this girl, i mean. i was kidding around and she took it seriously. it was a case of bad judgment, lorry, bad taste. and i'm just sorry, lorry, that's all.
your friend hunsecker - you can tell him for me - he's a disgrace to his profession. never mind my bilious private life - i print a decent, responsible column - that's the way it stays! your man - there's nothing he won't print if it satisfies his vanity or his spite! he'll use any spice to pepper up his daily garbage! tell him i said so and that, like yourself, he's got the morals of a guinea pig and the scruples of a gangster!