"You're taking a queer line, Northcote. I'm not a safe man to threaten, as you ought to know."
I laughed. "If it comes to that," I said, "you're not altogether ignorant about me."
It was a chance shot, for at present I was quite unaware how much of my double's unsavoury career Sangatte was really acquainted with. That his knowledge was fairly extensive, however, was plain from his answer to my remark.
"I'll give you credit for being a pretty complete scoundrel, Northcote," he observed graciously, "but, all the same, I tell you plainly I'm not going to stand any interference in this business. You play your hand, and I'll play mine."
"My only objection to that," I observed, "is that your hand seems to be such an excessively dirty one."
He flushed hotly. "It's a new thing to find you playing the moralist," he sneered. "What's the matter? Do you want to marry the girl?"
I kept my temper. "Suppose we leave Miss de Rosen's name out of it," I suggested. "We'll say that, until the Company's launched, it will be safer for you, and better for business generally, if you can manage to restrain your emotions within decent limits."
There must have been a dangerous note in my voice, for, angry as he was, I could see that my words had sobered him. He made one last effort at bluff, however.
"If you think you can frighten me," he declared, "you've got your money on the wrong horse. This isn't South America, you know."
I smiled. "If it was, I shouldn't have troubled to warn you," I said pleasantly.