“Possibly—but all trouble deserves payment. If I act as your go-between shall I get nothing?”
“Your claim is a fair one. I promise you fifty ounces—twenty-five for him, and twenty-five for yourself.”
“You shall have what you require.”
“To-morrow?”
“This evening! But you must pay me half in advance. If you were to change your mind, and leave me with the goods on my hands——”
“Between men of honour—”
“Between men of honour like us it is right to take precautions.”
“Well! There’s the money.”
Ali Pépé took the gold, counted it, tried each coin in succession, weighed them with an air of wisdom, and said, quietly, “The money is quite correct; you shall have just the sort of article you want; and, what is more, I’ll throw you the sack in!” With these words he left the apartment.
It was Allegrignac’s lunch-time; so the host went up-stairs to the count’s room, and found him plunged in deep thought.