I said, “Thanks. You know this may cost you money.”
“I don’t give a damn what it costs— No, I don’t exactly mean that, but— Well, you know what I mean.”
I said, “Bertha is unduly economical at times. She’s penny-wise and pound-foolish.”
“She doesn’t need to be. You explain that to her. Tell her that—”
“Telling her won’t do any good,” I said. “It’s the way she’s built.”
“Well, what do you want?”
I said, “Has it ever occurred to you I may have to bribe someone?”
“No.”
“Well, it’s a possibility to be taken into consideration.” He didn’t seem particularly happy about it. He said, “Well, of course, if you run into an emergency, the only thing for you to do is to come to me and—”
“And tell you who I’m bribing, how much I’ve got to pay, and why?” I asked.