Richard turned quietly to the astonished lawyer. “Did you catch the conversation with Clarkson? He’s going to send you a cheque, certified cheque, for $150,000. I don’t want to be known in this, so I’ll draw on you when I want funds. You see we just have to fix up the Wells’ business, and what’s the use of having money if you can’t have some fun with it! I bet you are enjoying the prospect almost as much as I am. But we’ve got to do this with great cunning and delicacy; you know how proud everybody is in these parts!”
Lear was not only struck in a heap by the nonchalant attitude of the young man towards this rather large sum of money, but he was correspondingly elevated at the splendid trust imposed in him. It was startling to have a stranger exhibit such faith. Further evidence of that stranger’s faith was forthcoming. Mr. Richard Richard laid off his incognito and he made clear his desires in settling up the troubles of the Wells estate; all of which Mr. Mitchell Lear was to perform as legal adviser, real-estate operator and friend, but shrouded, of course, in deepest secrecy.
“Will you conspire with me?” Richard asked.
“Will I?” echoed Mitchell Lear. “You won’t find a more willing conspirator in twenty counties.”
“Remember,” Richard told him, “this is strictly business. You are to get your proper fees and all that sort of thing.”
“Young man,” the elder man rose and fastened him with his steel-grey eyes. “Young man, go to the devil!”
“But at least the telephone call——”
“Young man,” Mitchell Lear grew eloquent, “go to the devil!”
“Well,” said Richard as he wrung his hand in parting, “I’ll get even.”
The young man went down Main Street with a springy step. His life had suddenly flopped over, like a turtle, as he had said, and he was as eager to follow up the new experience as the said turtle to try out his unused legs. Sam Fybush’s neat tailoring establishment caught his eye; he went in and had himself measured for clothes, giving Mitchell Lear’s name as reference; and he walked in Hopkin’s jewellery store and began buying an assortment of rings, but stopped when he realized that his funds would not arrive for a day or two. He never before had such a flurry to spend; he was like a child with birthday money. “Lord!” he thought, “I’d be dangerous to let loose in Tiffany’s just now!”