And, with this, he coolly re-adjusted his peruke.
“What do you expect to gain from this interview, Mr. Wild!” demanded Trenchard, as if he had formed a sudden resolution.
“Ah! now we come to business,” returned Jonathan, rubbing his hands, gleefully. “These are my terms, Sir Rowland,” he added, taking a sheet of paper from his pocket, and pushing it towards the knight.
Trenchard glanced at the document.
“A thousand pounds,” he observed, gloomily, “is a heavy price to pay for doubtful secrecy, when certain silence might be so cheaply procured.”
“You would purchase it at the price of your head,” replied Jonathan, knitting his brows. “Sir Rowland,” he added, savagely, and with somewhat of the look of a bull-dog before he flies at his foe, “if it were my pleasure to do so, I could crush you with a breath. You are wholly in my power. Your name, with the fatal epithet of 'dangerous' attached to it, stands foremost on the list of Disaffected now before the Secret Committee. I hold a warrant from Mr. Walpole for your apprehension.”
“Arrested!” exclaimed Trenchard, drawing his sword.
“Put up your blade, Sir Rowland,” rejoined Jonathan, resuming his former calm demeanour, “King James the Third will need it. I have no intention of arresting you. I have a different game to play; and it'll be your own fault, if you don't come off the winner. I offer you my assistance on certain terms. The proposal is so far from being exorbitant, that it should be trebled if I had not a fellow-feeling in the cause. To be frank with you, I have an affront to requite, which can be settled at the same time, and in the same way with your affair. That's worth something to me; for I don't mind paying for revenge. After all a thousand pounds is a trifle to rid you of an upstart, who may chance to deprive you of tens of thousands.”
“Did I hear you aright?” asked Trenchard, with startling eagerness.
“Certainly,” replied Jonathan, with the most perfect sangfroid, “I'll undertake to free you from the boy. That's part of the bargain.”