Luke seated himself by the table covered with magazines and sprawling sections of the Sunday newspapers. Outwardly, he was as self-contained as during his days in Leighton's office.
"What was it you wanted to see me about?" he interrupted.
Forbes took a chair opposite. He assumed the voice of persuasion.
"I want to be perfectly frank with you, Huber," he began.
Luke thought: "I wonder what he is going to keep back." All that he said was: "Yes?"
"Yes," resumed Forbes, "and I want you to be perfectly frank with me. You once told me you'd made enemies of the people who've since made such trouble for us, because you had some letters or other that belonged to them, didn't you?"
Luke bowed assent. He knew now what to expect.
"Well," Forbes went on, "the only use those letters were to you was political. Now that you can't use them politically, why don't you give them up?"
"You mean now that I've been chucked out of politics?"
"Well, you know you've ruined yourself there. You can never get back again. When you can't hurt your enemies, why not make them your friends?"