“But I’m not offering to bribe you or The Guardian,” protested the other. “It’s a matter of simple business. We institute an advertising campaign in a newspaper. We don’t ask it to advocate our measures; to a finicking mind that might seem to be a form of bribery. No; we only ask that, having published our advertising and accepted us as customers, the paper refrain from rendering the service we’ve paid for useless or worse than useless, by attacking our arguments editorially. Is n’t that fair and reasonable?” pleaded the lawyer, with a plausible gesture of laying the matter out for equitable judgment. Jeremy passed the argument. “Do you think Garson ever delivered my message?” “I should think it unlikely,” returned the other, taken slightly aback. “Afraid?” “Politic.” “The same thing, usually. Are you afraid of Montrose Clark?” The lawyer reddened. “I came here as one gentleman to another--” “With an offer of hush-money,” broke in the editor. “Come, Judge; you and I are down to hard-pan. We can dispense with bluff. However, if you don’t like the word ‘afraid’--I don’t like it much, myself, but that’s because there are so many things I’m trying not to be afraid of--I’ll take it back. Now; will you take my message to Clark, as Garson would n’t?” “No; I will not.” “Then I’ll have to write it to him. Or, I might print it in The Guardian, in the form of an open letter following this interview.” “This is a confidential visit,” cried the lawyer, shocked clean out of his professional calm. “You’ve got me there,” admitted the other. “I’ve got to play square if I put up the bluff, have n’t I, Judge? Even with you.” “I’m damned if I understand you, young man.” “Cheer up. We’ve got many long years to learn all about each other in.” “You think The Guardian will last?” Dana could not resist the temptation to impart the dig. “It’ll be remembered, if it doesn’t,” promised its editor. “Won’t you reconsider the matter of that message, Judge? You can tone it down, you know, and temper it to the dignity of the little great man, whereas if I write him--” “I’ll do it,” declared Dana suddenly. “And I won’t tone it down.” “And you’ll enjoy it,” added Jeremy with a grin, which met an unexpected response. The two men understood each other. In a certain complementary sense they were even sympathetic to each other.