ell me what I want to know."

A golden twenty-dollar coin rolled free, shone with its virgin newness
and lay on the table-top, gleaming its lure into the covetous old eyes.
Another followed it and another. King regretted that there were not
more, that the parcel contained banknotes for the most part. He began
counting it out.

"There's one thousand dollars. Right in that pile," he said. "One
thousand dollars."

"One thousand dollars. An' some of it gold. New-lookin', ain't it, Mark?
Let me have the feel of one of them twenties."

King tossed it; it fell upon the bedding, and Honeycutt's fingers dived
after it and held it tight. He began rubbing it, caressing it.

King went on counting.

"One more thousand in this pile," he said. "That's two thousand,
Honeycutt!"

"Two thousand," repeated Honeycutt, nodding. He was sucking at his lips,
his mouth puckered, his cheeks sunken in. He got up and shambled on his
cane close to the table, leaning against it, thrusting his peering eyes
down.

King counted out the last crisp note.

"Three thousand dollars." He stepped back a pace.

"Three thousand dollars! That's a might of money, Mark. Three thousand
dollars all on my table." His thin voice was a hushed whisper now. "I
never seen that much money, not all at once and spread out."

"It's likely that you'll never see that much again. Unless you and I do
business."

Honeycutt did not answer, perhaps had not heard. His emaciated arms were
uplifted; he had let his cane go, supporting himself by leaning hard
against the table; his arms curved inward, his fingers were like claws,
standing apart. Slowly the hands descended; the fingers began gathering
the few gold pieces, stacking them, lingering with each separate one,
smoothing at it. Gold spoke directly and eloquently to what stood for a
soul in Loony Honeycutt; banknotes had a voice which he understood but
which could never move him, thrill him, lift him to ecstatic heights, as
pure musical, beautiful gold could.

"It's a sight of money, Mark," he whispered "It's a sight of money."

King held his silence. His whole argument was on the table.

* * * * *

Only now and then did King catch a glimpse of Honeycutt's eyes, for the
most part hidden by his lowered lids and bent head. At such times,
though he had counted on having to do with cupidity, he was startled by
the look he saw Here was the expression of the one emotion which dwelt
on