“Mr. Haworth”—Harker spoke with quiet and pleading earnestness—“let’s be reasonable about this. The amount you name is far beyond what we’re able to pay. We couldn’t touch it. If that’s the figure you’re going to insist on, it’s only a dirty waste of time for us to go on talking. We’re through—and the whole thing stops right here!” “No—it doesn’t stop! I know the idea’s good—you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t—and if you can’t give me as much as that, I can find someone who will!” The two super-sharps of the firm, born gamblers both, were entirely aware that Haworth meant precisely what he said, no thought of bluffing having a place in his system. They argued about it for some little time—which is to say, Harker did, for Haworth said nothing, merely shaking his head a little now and then in refusal of some offer or suggestion; and when Harker, driven to his last play, stated that all the money they’d brought with them was twenty-five thousand, the young man merely asked him how long it would take to get the rest. “Then you won’t accept this twenty-five?” Harker’s tone had now a definite finality in it, carrying the idea that he was giving Haworth his last chance. But the young man shook his head again. It was here that Pentecost, who hadn’t joined in the discussion, came forward. He said he had one proposal to make. It was quite true the firm had brought only twenty-five thousand, but he himself had in his possession the sum of ten thousand, which he’d intended using in the liquidation of a stock transaction. But he was so anxious to have the deal go through that he would add this ten thousand to the firm’s twenty-five, and they would then be able to offer Mr. Haworth thirty-five thousand in cash, and in addition to that would agree to pay him or whomsoever he might designate as his agent, an amount equal to one-fifth of whatever profit they were able to make on the handling of the enterprise. I’m giving you this little episode in some detail because it was certainly odd to see such a simple, almost childlike person as Charles Michael Haworth putting it all over a brace of about the most consummate swindlers that ever adorned the criminal contingent, and doing it without an idea that he was making any play at all. As to this new proposition of accepting one-fifth share of the profits in place of ten thousand of the cash price which he had fixed upon, he considered it a few moments and then turned to Pentecost. “Will you attend to this yourself?” he asked. “Yes—I will.” The young man sat looking steadily at Mr. Pentecost for some little time, his calm penetrating gaze seeming to search for something. Then he turned away and indicated that he would agree to the arrangement proposed.