“I got hold of a man named Davis, and it was arranged that he should cable home a report in his manager’s name to the effect that they had struck gold of a high grade. I didn’t want my name to appear in the business, so I agreed with Gaunt to work the market. It came off, and Gaunt made his pile, but when I went to claim my share he practically told me to go to the devil,” Weiss wound up angrily, for he still smarted to think of the way he had been “done.”
“And to add insult to injury,” he continued, “the blackguard sent a check in my name to the King’s Hospital Fund for the amount I ought to have received.”
“Have you any idea why he did that? It was very strange, for it could not have been on account of the money that he refused to pay you,” the Baron remarked thoughtfully.
“I don’t care a damn about his reasons. I want my twenty odd thousand pounds, and I’ll have it, or Gaunt shall pay me in some other way,” the Jew cried furiously, and jumping to his feet commenced to pace rapidly to and fro.
“I can see that you are going for him in the papers, and I’ll give you as much information as you can want about various shady deals in which he has been concerned. And I’ll give you the evidence to prove ’em up to the hilt. I schwear I’ll make the city too hot for Mr. John Gaunt before I’ve done with him.”
“Didn’t it turn out that there really was a valuable find of gold?”
“So they reported, but I have just heard that the report was incorrect, although the manager out there evidently believed in it. When I left the office Amantis were selling at five shillings with no buyers. I bought myself when they were at two pounds, and so I got left again,” Weiss said savagely.
“Very unfortunate. I do not wonder that you were angry. By the bye, have you any evidence that Gaunt had knowledge that the cable sent by Davis was forged?” the Baron asked casually.
“Yes. Read through this letter.”
De Croiseuil rapidly scanned the few lines but his face gave no sign of the satisfaction that he felt.