“Then he shall have the job.”
Gray smiled to himself as he thought, “You must first wrest your prey from the hands of Sir Francis Hartleton—no easy task!” Then he said aloud,—
“You are now on the right path, squire, you have but to pursue it, and every wish you ever nourished of pleasure and ambition will be satisfied.”
“I do begin to think so,” said Learmont.
Jacob Gray now rose, and said,—
“I will bid you adieu, squire, but being rather pressed for money. I will trouble you for fifty pounds.”
“Fifty pounds?”
“Ay, ’tis but a small instalment of the thousands. Agree, at our next meeting, to my terms, and I will deduct this fifty pounds from the gross sum I am to receive.”
“As you please,” said Learmont; “but, Jacob Gray, I will not give you so large a sum now.”
“You will not?”