"The best that can be got," replied Weil, now laughing in spite of himself. "The very finest quality in the market. Oh, we shall do this up brown, I tell you."
"What have you done so far?" asked Gouger.
"You want to know it all, eh?" responded Mr. Weil. "I don't think I am justified in letting you too deeply into our secrets. However, you are too honorable to betray us, and so here goes: I have instructed my protegé that he must fall violently under the tender passion before next Saturday night."
"With a lady whom you have selected, of course?"
"By no means. He must catch his own sweethearts."
Mr. Gouger played with his watchchain.
"And this is Tuesday," he commented. "Do you think he will succeed?"
"He must," laughed Weil. "It's like the case of the boy who was digging out the woodchuck. 'The minister's coming to dinner.'"
"You might at least have got an introduction for him," said Gouger, reflectively.
"Not I. There's nothing in our agreement that puts such a task on me. Besides, there's no romance in an introduction. He would write a story as prosy as one of Henry James' if he started off like that."