"How do you mean?"
"To begin with, Probyn, Cartner's man, offered us a thousand dollars to quit."
"A pretty good price," said Martin. "Since you didn't go, I don't see why you are bothering me."
"It looks as if you and Cartner had pooled your interests. When we got to work, your man, Davies, came along and tried to hold us up. It was not his fault he didn't; the fellow's a crook."
"I haven't studied his character. In some ways, he's useful," Martin rejoined coolly. "Well, you reckon I sent him! How did he try to embarrass you?"
"Don't you know?"
"It's for you to state your grievance."
Martin's face was inscrutable; one could not tell if he knew or not. It was curious, but Jim could not take it for granted that he did know and he told him about the broken wall.
"You imagine Davies paid the fellow to cut your underpinning?" the contractor remarked.
"The thing's obvious."