'Forty-five seconds.'
'Have mercy, my lord, have mercy! Make it half the money! Say ten thousand! Call it five! You don't want to leave me without a penny, my lord!'
'Sixty seconds. What they call the Birmingham Mystery will now be solved.'
'My lord, don't ring that bell.'
He caught me by the arm.
'Remove your arm.'
'You shall have the bill.'
'Give it me.'
He began to fumble with a pocket-book. 'My lord, I do ask you to listen to reason! I'm sure you don't want----'
'If you say another word I ring.'