Mr. Jobling's face was almost green. He got up with an evident effort.
"I was only joking," he declared with a most ghastly grin. "I'll be quite satisfied with ten per cent. of the accumulated income—in fact, we'll call it a couple of hundred thousand pounds, if you like."
"All right," Slyne agreed imperturbably. "Make it that amount if you'd rather. How long will it take you to get the papers drawn out? It's nearly one o'clock. And—you won't be safe till they're signed."
"An hour," said Mr. Jobling. "I'm a quick writer."
"All right," Slyne repeated. "We'll lunch at two—after they're all signed. So—off you go, and get busy."
The stout solicitor hurried away, cowed and obedient again, and Slyne, very smart in an almost new flannel suit, rejoined Captain Dove.
"I'm too fashionable, that's what's the matter with me!" declared Captain Dove with sudden conviction at sight of him, and gazed very bitterly at his own image in an inconvenient mirror.
"Never mind about that," Slyne advised soothingly. "It's not as if you were staying here, you know. You'll be back on board your ship by supper-time. And now, I must tell you how we've got to handle this lawyer-fellow when he fetches in the raft of papers he'll want us all to sign."
Captain Dove listened gloomily while he went on to explain, at considerable length, and in his most convincing manner, that they must match their combined wits against the lawyer's for their own profit.
"It's not that I don't trust him," said Slyne, "but—I'll feel more secure after everything's settled in writing and signed. He can't go back on us then."