She sat up in horror. “Not––bribe them!”
“Oh, dear, no! You didn’t think that of me!”
“No, but when you said––”
“I said they had to be ‘approached.’ I didn’t mean corruption; I meant enlightenment.” He rubbed his nose reflectively. “But the cost is approximately the same.”
“Of course, I trust your judgment, Theodore, but ... how big a fund do you suppose we’ll want.”
“Oh, I should think five thousand would do it.”
“Five––! Theodore Mix, how could you spend five thousand dollars for such a thing? There isn’t that much in the treasury! There’s hardly one thousand.”
“My dear, if I were in your place, I’d protect my ante. I’d––”
“What’s all that gibberish?”