‘You think that you have got it in time, sir?’
‘Yes, my young friend. It is a nice question whether it constitutes legal evidence, but anyhow, it constitutes a lever which I think I can use pretty effectively upon Mr. Craig.’
‘Then you deem it valuable, sir?’
‘Yes,’ said Simon Lock.
‘What do you think it is worth to you, sir?’
Oakley looked peculiarly at his master, who paused.
‘Well, Oakley,’ he said at length, ‘since you put it in that way, it is worth, we’ll say, a hundred pounds to me. I’ll draw you a cheque. It will pay the expenses of your summer holiday.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ said Oakley impassively. ‘May I just glance at the document again, sir? There was one point——’
Simon Lock handed him the dead man’s message. Oakley took it, folded it carefully, and placed it in his pocket.
‘What the devil are you doing?’ Simon Lock demanded angrily.