‘It seems to me, as you said last night, almost a sin not to try to prevent so gross an act of folly as the one we were speaking of,’ he said at last. ‘And a plan has occurred to me that might possibly succeed.’ ‘Really! You’re a brick, Beattie. I always said you were. I always knew you had twice as much brains as most fellows.’ Beattie took no notice of this. ‘There is a risk about it, no doubt. There always must be in such cases. But I think the danger may be reduced to a minimum.’ ‘What is it? What is your idea?’ ‘It will require some care and adroitness on your part, when the critical moment arrives; but I shall ask you to do nothing impossible, or even difficult.’ ‘I can’t do any forg----, if you mean that,’ said Semple, with a slight shiver. ‘I really couldn’t. I mean, I haven’t the skill.’ Beattie threw a contemptuous glance at his companion. ‘You surely forget what I said on that point last night,’ he said coldly. ‘But how else are you to manage it? What is your idea?’ ‘I may as well tell you now that I don’t take another step unless you give me back that promissory note of mine. You can sign a receipt for the money now, and send me the note when you return to Glasgow. I will burn them both. “Dead men tell no tales.”’ ‘Oh, but you know, old man, that’s too much. I let you off a hundred only last night.’ ‘What has that to do with it? I gave you a return for the hundred, didn’t I? I tell you I have made up my mind that the old debt must be cleared out of the way to begin with, and I must have half profits if we succeed.’ ‘Half profits! Why, you couldn’t touch a penny of it without me!’ ‘Nor could you without me.’ And after a little wrangling, Semple was forced to consent to these conditions. ‘Now, what is your precious plan?’ he asked, when he had signed the necessary paper. ‘I think you had better leave that to me,’ said Beattie, as he lit a cigarette. ‘That’s cool, I must say!’ ‘As you like,’ answered the other, shrugging his shoulders; ‘but it seems to me that it’s much safer for you to know nothing. I may very probably want your help. But in case of anything coming out, the less you know the better.’ ‘I see. All right.’ ‘There is one unfortunate circumstance. We can’t secure the whole half-million. We can only get about half of it.’ ‘Half of it! Why didn’t you tell me that sooner? Do you think I would have gone shares with you, if I had known that? I won’t do it, and that’s flat.’ Semple could be obstinate enough when he liked; and in the end a compromise was effected. If Semple realized two hundred thousand pounds from his uncle’s estate, Beattie was to have half of the whole. All above two hundred thousand the former was to keep for himself.