He pressed a button with his finger. His visitor rose up in anger.
“You are not such a fool!” he exclaimed. “You are not going to send me away without it? Why, I tell you that there won’t be a safe corner in the world for you!”
Halsey opened the door. Laverick nodded toward his visitor.
“Show this gentleman out, Halsey,” he ordered.
Halsey started. The noise of the revolver shot had evidently been muffled by the heavy connecting doors, but there was a smell of gunpowder in the room, and a little wreath of smoke. The man rose slowly to his feet, still blinking.
“It must be as you will, of course. I wonder if you would be so good as to let your clerk direct me to an oculist? I am, unfortunately, a helpless man in this condition.”
“There is one a few yards off,” Laverick answered. “Put on your hat, Halsey, and show this gentleman where he can get some glasses.”
His visitor leaned towards Laverick.
“It is your life which is in question, not my eyesight,” he muttered. “Do you accept my offer? Will you give me the document?”
“I do not and I will not,” Laverick replied. “I shall not part with anything until I know more than I know at present.”