“There has been no great violence up to this,” said Davis, with a grin. “As to my right to be here, we'll talk about that presently. You know me, I believe?”
“I want to know why you are here,” cried Dunn, again.
“And so you shall; but, first of all, no treachery. Deal fairly, and a very few minutes will settle all business between us.”
“There is no business to be settled between us,” said Dunn, haughtily, “except the insolence of your intrusion here, and for that you shall pay dearly.”
“Don't try bluster with me, man,” said Grog, contemptuously. “If you just stood as high in integrity as I know you to stand low in knavery, it would n't serve you. I've braved pluckier fellows than ever you were.”
With a sudden jerk Dunn let down the window; but Grog's iron grip held him down in his place, as he said sternly, “I 'll not stand nonsense. I have come here for a purpose, and I 'll not leave it till it's accomplished. You know me.”
“I do know you,” said Dunn, with an insolent irony.
“And I know you. Hankes—Simmy Hankes—has told me a thing or two; but the world will soon be as wise as either of us.”
Dunn's face became deadly pale, and, in a voice broken And faint, he said, “What do you mean? What has Hankes said?”
“All,—everything. Why, bless your heart, man, it was no secret to me that you were cheating, the only mystery was how you did the trick; now Hankes has shown me that. I know it all now. You had n't so many trumps in your hand, but you played them twice over,—that was the way you won the game. But that's no affair of mine. 'Rook' them all round,—only don't 'try it on' with Kit Davis! What brought me here is this: my daughter is married to Annesley Beecher that was, the now Viscount Lackington; there's another fellow about to contest the title and the estates. You know all about his claim and his chances, and you can, they tell me, make it all 'snag' to either party. Now, I 'm here to treat with you. How much shall it be? There's no use in going about the bush,—how much shall it be?”