"And, lastly, you'd better make out a brief private agreement between yourself and me—just as a matter of form, you know—to the effect that you are willing to act in my interests throughout, in return for a commission of ten per cent. on the accumulated revenues of the Jura estates at the date of my marriage."
Mr. Jobling looked at him for a time as a man suddenly bereft of his spine might.
"There's no time to spare," Slyne mentioned. "I want all that sort of thing settled right off the reel—before lunch.
"If the old man makes any kick about anything, you must back me up in all I say. Although if he tries to raise his price by a few thousand dollars, we needn't stick at that. The great thing is to get him to sign the deliverance in return for our note. The girl has already agreed—"
"And what if I refuse?" croaked his companion with the courage of desperation. It was evident that Mr. Jobling saw through his daring scheme. "What if I insist on my fair share? What if I—"
Slyne silenced him with a contemptuous gesture.
"Whatever you do will make no difference to anyone in the wide world but yourself," said Slyne. "If you do what you're told you'll get a great deal more than you deserve out of it. If you don't—D'ye think I'd have taken you into the team if I didn't know how to drive you!" he asked, his eyes beginning to blaze. "Why, my good fellow, if you refuse, if you don't travel up to your collar, if you so much as shy at anything you see or hear—I won't even hurt you; I'll just hand you over to the police.
"So make up your mind now, quick!"
"You've nothing against me," quavered the lawyer.
"No, I've nothing—not very much, at least, yet," Slyne agreed, knotting his tie neatly before the glass. "But—that may be because you haven't embezzled any of my money—yet." He had most opportunely recalled what the detective Dubois had told him about his new friend.