"There's Hayden now," cried Mr. Bland.
"It ain't too late," came the mayor's voice, "You can do it yet. It ain't too late."
"Do what?" cried Bland in a firm tone. "You can't bribe me, Cargan." He raised his voice. "Go round to the east door, Mr. Hayden." Then he added, to Cargan: "That's my answer. I'm going to let him in."
"Let him in," bellowed the mayor. "Let the hound in. I guess I've got something to say to Mr. Hayden."
There came to Magee's ears the sound of opening doors, and of returning footsteps.
"How do you do, Cargan," said a voice new to Baldpate.
"Cut the society howdydoes," replied the mayor hotly. "There's a little score to be settled between me and you, Hayden. I ain't quite wise to your orchid-in-the-buttonhole ways. I don't quite follow them. I ain't been bred in the club you hang around—they blackballed me when I tried to get in. You know that. I'm a rough rude man. I don't understand your system. When I give my word, I keep it. Has that gone out of style up on the avenue, where you live?"
"There are conditions—" began Hayden.
"The hell there are!" roared Cargan. "A man's word's his word, and he keeps it to me, or I know the reason why. You can't come down to the City Hall with any new deal like this. I was to have two hundred thousand. Why didn't I get it?"
"Because," replied Hayden smoothly, "the—er—little favor you were to grant me in return is to be made useless by the courts."