“Officer! You have my permission to look for the weapon!”
The constable ran his hands over O’Hagan.
“Excuse me, sir,” he reported to Mr. Ritzmann, who was now regaining colour and perspiring freely, “but the gentleman hasn’t got any pistol on him!”
“He’s dropped it in the passage!” yelled Ritzmann. “He——”
Again O’Hagan raised the forceful hand.
“One of your clerks can go and look; and would you be good enough to request your manager to join us?”
The necessary instructions were given, and the manager appeared. O’Hagan threw down his bunch of agreements and displayed the cheque.
“Sir,” he said to the manager, “are these in order?”
“He made me do it!” cried Ritzmann hoarsely, “at the point of a pistol!”
A shopman entered to report that there was no pistol in the passage. Ritzmann began to swear.