"It won't be so bad as that, I guess. I am very sure that an offer of twenty-five or thirty thousand dollars will completely silence all scruples of conscience that Dunbar may happen to have, and fully satisfy his cupidity." "Twenty-five or thirty thousand, indeed! I agree with you that he has his price, and a pretty high one it is, by the way. He must be more reasonable than that." "Shall I feel his pulse?" "Oh, yes. It will do no harm to know how it beats." "A precious set of rascals!" exclaimed Harrison, after the lawyer had left him. "This Dunbar is the man I once heard Harker prophesy would rise in the world. And he is rising sure enough. At this rate of elevation, he will soon be out of sight of all honest men. But he's keen if he gets ahead of me in this affair. If I am not mistaken, I can play off a card upon him that he little dreams is in my hand. And as for my own keen attorney will take good care never again to venture on the ocean of law with him as my pilot. The man who would propose a bribe would take one." "I have felt his pulse," said the lawyer of Harrison, sententiously, as that gentleman entered his office, and leisurely seated himself, a few days afterwards. "Well. How does it beat?" "Healthily as we could wish. He is not adverse; but, as I supposed he would do, fixes his price high." "How much?" "He must have thirty thousand dollars." "The deuce he must! You did not go wide of the mark when you named the price that would buy him." "No. It seems that I was correct. I thought I knew him pretty well." "Then for thirty thousand dollars guaranteed to him in case we make good our defence through a flaw in his bill, he will so frame his bill as to leave room for a demurrer." "Yes. That is what he assents to." "Very well; we understand him clearly. Now what is your opinion? Shall we pay him this large sum to give us the case, or shall we push on, and try to get it in spite of him?" "I am clearly of opinion," replied the lawyer, "that we ought to plough with Malcolm's heifer, seeing that he is ready to bend his neck to the yoke. It will cost something, but it makes so much sure." "Very well. You can arrange the matter with Dunbar. At the proper time I will be ready to fulfil my part of the contract." "He is not willing to act as proposed, unless he has the most ample security that the amount specified will be forthcoming," said the lawyer, slightly hesitating as he spoke. "Ah! I suppose not," replied Harrison. "Let him name the security he wants, and I will see if I cannot satisfy him." "Very well. That is all he asks." "Tell him," said Harrison, "to be sure that the flaw in the bill is palpable. It would be folly for him to undertake the matter and not do it well." "I will myself see to that," replied the lawyer. "How soon will the case come up?" asked Harrison. "The longer we can keep it off the better." "How so?"