The tout swaggered across the green.
"See here, Silver," he said. "None of that. You're not in the position to come it over me now you've joined the great company of gentlemen-adventurers. There's nothing in it since the Bank broke. We both stand together on the common quicksands of economic insecurity."
Silver wound up the wire.
"Common quicksands of economic insecurity is good," he said deliberately. "Distinctly good."
"Yes," replied the other. "I learned it at Oxford, where I learned a lot besides. Or to put it straight, we're both naked men now—stripped to the world. And I'm as good a man as you are."
Silver dropped the wire and advanced leisurely.
"Are you?" he said. "I doubt it. But we'll soon see."
The fat man produced a mallet from behind his back.
"No —— nonsense," he snarled.
"I thought you said we were both naked men," replied Silver, folding his arms.