"All that I need add," said the Judge, "is this: we must take only one step at a time. If we can succeed by persuasion, there is no need to use other measures. I do not want to use other measures unless he forces us to use them. Remember that. The first thing to do is to convince him that we are too strong for him. For instance, he has this reform nomination for the district-attorneyship. If he could be made to see that we could take that nomination away from him, he might listen to reason." "I see." "You will report results to me. Not methods, Irwin: only the results, but please report the results step by step. And understand that whoever undertakes this matter must not know too much to be dangerous, but must know enough to make no error." "How soon do you want the letters, Judge?" "As soon as I can get them." "And the outside limit?" "The first step must be immediate. We must not run so fast that we stumble; but for the completion it will be impossible to wait long. Say twenty-eight days from date." "Right," said Irwin, and walked briskly from the room. Irwin had a manner of telephoning that was more hurried than the Judge’s, and Miss Weston treated him with greater deliberation. However, he had soon called up the office of Anson Quirk and learned that Quirk was there. "Then, stay there for twenty minutes, will you?" asked Irwin. "I’m coming right around to see you." Anson Quirk was a lawyer who had a small office and a large reputation on the East Side. His round, smiling face shone in every important case where was endangered the liberty or life of minor politicians or major thugs; the number of acquittals to his credit was surpassed only by the number of clients whom he had saved from ever appearing in court. He called every patrolman, magistrate, and tipstaff in the City and County of New York by his first name. He was successful before a judge, but he was magnificent before a magistrate, and with a police-officer he was a worker of miracles. In his own world, Quirk, whom Stein would have refused to shake hands with, was what Stein was upon a somewhat higher plane. He talked with the bright-eyed Irwin for less than half an hour. Then he showed his visitor from his dusty office full of law-books that were never consulted. "Easy?" he chuckled as he bowed Irwin out. "It’s a hundred-to-one shot. I’ll tell you what I’ll do: I’ll——" "No, you won’t tell me," laughed Irwin. "The less I know, the better for me. All I want to be sure of is that I can count on you." "Sure, you can." "And don’t do everything at once." "Not me. The frame-up comes first." "Let me know as soon as it’s tried. Then we’ll talk about the next move—if one’s needed." "I understand. And whatever’s needed, I’ll deliver the goods inside of three weeks."