"It was not necessary that any one should. I'm not blind. But, anyway, you know how perfectly you are in my power."
"In what?" cried Leith, forgetting himself for a moment, and thundering the word out so that Meriaz lifted his hand warningly.
"There is no use in your giving the snap away until that becomes necessary," he said, with despicable cunning. "I am not going to peach, provided you make it to my interest to keep quiet."
"What the devil do you want?"
"Money."
Leith hesitated. Even under his mustache both Carlita and Meriaz saw how his lips were twitching, how white they had grown.
"Pouf!" exclaimed the Mexican. "Why do you hesitate? You got all of his money, and you can surely give up that for protection."
Carlita half expected to see Pierrepont throttle the wretch before him, but instead he turned away and sat down before the writing-desk, leaning his elbow upon it and shading his eyes with a hand which trembled.
"I suppose you are right," he said, dully, after a long pause. "How much do you want?"
"Five thousand—now."