"Flanagan wanted six, but I got next to him myself and I think—I'm not sure—but I think he would take three."
"I can't think of it. I'll give a thousand, but not a cent more. And say—how much do you keep out of it, Smith?"
Mr. Tescheron cast a suspicious eye on the detective, who proceeded to apply his formula for suspicion.
"That is an insult, Mr. Tescheron," exclaimed Mr. Smith. "You may not have intended it as such, but really that is too much for me to bear. I have served you untiringly and faithfully, and really you should give me better treatment. I cannot allow you to insinuate that I would be guilty of—"
"There, there, Smith, forget it. I shouldn't have accused you of that. But this expense is too heavy. I'll stay here a while longer. As there seems to be no danger of the case being revived, I think we may return in a week or so without paying the hush money."
"Just as you say, but I confess the newspaper reports have scared me, even though you—"
"The reports!" Tescheron colored and blanched in turn. "The reports! Where?"
"You saw them."
"Certainly I did not. Where did they appear? When? Why have you not told me?"
"But you read the papers, and I understood you did not fear them while over here."