Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Sandra Brown and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. THE TALLEYRAND MAXIM BY J. S. FLETCHER 1920 CONTENTS CHAPTER I DEATH BRINGS OPPORTUNITY II IN TRUST III THE SHOP-BOY IV THE FORTUNATE POSSESSORS V POINT-BLANK VI THE UNEXPECTED VII THE SUPREME INDUCEMENT VIII TERMS IX UNTIL NEXT SPRING X THE FOOT-BRIDGE XI THE PREVALENT ATMOSPHERE XII THE POWER OF ATTORNEY XIII THE FIRST TRICK XIV CARDS ON THE TABLE XV PRATT OFFERS A HAND XVI A HEADQUARTERS CONFERENCE XVII ADVERTISEMENT XVIII THE CONFIDING LANDLORD XIX THE EYE-WITNESS XX THE _Green Man_ XXI THE DIRECT CHARGE XXII THE CAT'SPAW XXIII SMOOTH FACE AND ANXIOUS BRAIN XXIV THE BETTER HALF XXV DRY SHERRY XXVI THE TELEPHONE MESSAGE XXVII RESTORED TO ENERGY XXVIII THE WOMAN IN BLACK THE TALLEYRAND MAXIM CHAPTER I DEATH BRINGS OPPORTUNITY Linford Pratt, senior clerk to Eldrick & Pascoe, solicitors, of Barford, a young man who earnestly desired to get on in life, by hook or by crook, with no objection whatever to crookedness, so long as it could be performed in safety and secrecy, had once during one of his periodical visits to the town Reference Library, lighted on a maxim of that other unscrupulous person, Prince Talleyrand, which had pleased him greatly. "With time and patience," said Talleyrand, "the mulberry leaf is turned into satin." This seemed to Linford Pratt one of the finest and soundest pieces of wisdom which he had ever known put into words. A mulberry leaf is a very insignificant thing, but a piece of satin is a highly marketable commodity, with money in it. Henceforth, he regarded himself as a mulberry leaf which his own wit and skill must transform into satin: at the same time he knew that there is another thing, in addition to time and patience, which is valuable to young men of his peculiar qualities, a thing also much beloved by Talleyrand--opportunity. He could find the patience, and he had the time--but it would give him great happiness if opportunity came along to help in the work. In everyday language, Linford Pratt wanted a chance--he waited the arrival of the tide in his affairs which would lead him on to fortune. Leave him alone--he said to himself--to be sure to take it at the flood. If Pratt had only known it, as he stood in the outer office of Eldrick & Pascoe at the end of a certain winter afternoon, opportunity was slowly climbing the staircase outside--not only opportunity, but temptation, both assisted by the Devil. They came at the right moment, for Pratt was alone; the partners had gone: the other clerks had gone: the office-boy had gone: in another minute Pratt would have gone, too: he was only looking round before locking up for the night. Then these things came--combined in the person of an old man, Antony Bartle, who opened the door, pushed in a queer, wrinkled face, and asked in a quavering voice if anybody was in.