M. De Bac smiled oddly. "No--in your case I promise a quick passage. These are all the conditions I attach to my gift of six thousand pounds to you."
Brown's amazement did not blind him to the fact of the advantage he had, as he thought, over his visitor. The six thousand pounds were already his, and he had given no promise. With a sudden boldness he spoke out.
"And if I decline?"
"You will return me my money, and my book, and I will go elsewhere."
"The manuscript, yes--but if I refuse to give back the money?"
"Ha! ha! ha!" M. De Bac's mirthless laugh chilled Brown to the bone. "Very good, Brown--but you won't refuse. Sign that like a good fellow," and he flung a piece of paper towards Brown, who saw that it was a promissory note, drawn up in his name, agreeing to pay M. De Bac the sum of six thousand pounds on demand.
"I shall do no such thing," said Brown stoutly.
M. De Bac made no answer, but calmly touched the bell. In a half-minute Simmonds appeared.
"Be good enough to witness Mr. Brown's signature to that document," said De Bac to him, and then fixed his gaze on Brown. There was a moment of hesitation, and then--the publisher signed his name, and Simmonds did likewise as a witness. When the latter had gone, De Bac carefully put the paper by in a letter-case he drew from his vest pocket.
"Your scientific people would call this an exhibition of odic force, Brown--eh?"