rown were your people. They stand well, and at the same time they
know all the tricks."

"But they may play me the tricks."

"I think not. They stand well at the bar."

"Yes, yes," sneered Peter, who was never polite, was always insultingly
frank to any one who served him for pay. "I know that bar."

"Well, Mr. Ganser," replied Windisch, angry but willing to take almost
anything from a rich client, "I guess you can look out for yourself.
Of course there's always danger, once you get outside the straight
course of justice. As I understand it, your main point is no
publicity?"

"That's right," replied Ganser. "No newspapers--no trial."

"Then Beck and Brown. Drive as close a bargain as you can. But you'll
have to give up a few thousands, I'm afraid."

Ganser went over into Nassau Street and found Beck in his office. He
gazed with melancholy misgivings at this lean man with hair and
whiskers of a lifeless black. Beck suggested a starved black spider,
especially when you were looking into his cold, amused, malignant black
eyes. He made short work of the guileless brewer, who was dazed and
frightened by the meshes in which he was enveloped. Staring at the
horrid specter of publicity which these men of craft kept before him,
he could not vigorously protest against extortion. Beck discovered
that twenty thousand was his fighting limit.

"Leave the matter entirely in our hands," said Beck. "We'll make the
best bargain we can. But Feuerstein has shrewd lawyers--none better.
That man Loeb--" Beck threw up his arms. "Of course," he continued, "I
had to know your limit. I'll try to make the business as cheap for you
as possible."

"Put 'em off," said Ganser. "My Lena's sick."

His real reason was his hopes from the reports on Feuerstein's past,
which his detective would make. But he thought it was not necessary to
tell Beck about the detective.

VI

TRAGEDY IN TOMPKINS SQUARE

After another talk with Travis, Feuerstein decided that he must give up
Hilda entirely until this affair with the Gansers was settled.
Afterward--well, there would be time to decide when he had his five
thousand. He sent her a note, asking her to meet him in Tompkins
Square on Friday evening. That afternoon he carefully prepared
himself. He resolved that the scene between her and him should be, so
far as his part was concerned, a masterpiece of that art of which he
knew himself to be one of the greatest living expone