“Really?” said I.
“You have doubtless seen the papers these last few days—the stock market.”
“Yes.... Yes—so the bonds are dropping. That’s unfortunate.”
“Dropping rapidly,” said Dawkins. “And there are rumors that Great Lakes and Gulf will soon be practically worthless.”
“So I’ve read.”
“I’ve come to ask you to release us. We wish to sell. We must sell. If we don’t the settlement on your son-in-law will be worthless.”
I smiled agreeably. “As worthless as his promises to my daughter. As worthless as he is.”
Dawkins was breathing heavily. His pious eyes were snapping with rage. He had prided himself on his astuteness. He had gloated over his shrewdness in outwitting Norman and me. And now he discovered that the boot was on the other leg. I had trapped him and put him and his client in my power.
I leaned back comfortably and smiled. “Of course I know nothing about it, Dawkins, but I am willing to make a Yankee guess that the bonds will continue to drop until——”
When my pause became unendurable, he said: “Yes, sir. Until when?”