‘What of that?’
‘It means penal servitude for you, Mr. Craig, if I give it up to the police. But I trust you will not compel me to such an extreme course.’
‘How can I persuade you to have mercy on me?’ laughed Raphael Craig.
The other evidently did not appreciate the full extent of the old man’s sarcasm.
‘It will not be difficult,’ said Simon Lock, ‘provided you are reasonable. I will tell you without any circumlocution what my terms are.’ Simon was feeling firm ground under feet at last, as he thought. ‘What my terms are.’ He repeated the phrase, which seemed to give him satisfaction. ‘You must instruct your agents to agree to a cancellation of the contracts to sell La Princesse shares. They must let go.’
‘As those contracts stand, Mr. Lock, how much do you reckon you would lose on them?’
‘I cannot say,’ said Lock stiffly.
‘I will tell you,’ said Raphael Craig. ‘You would lose something between two and a half and three millions of money. What you ask is that I should make you a present of this trifling sum.’
‘In return I will give you Featherstone’s document.’
‘Nothing else? Nothing in solid cash?’