s a placid mind. His
little piglike eyes darted to and fro among the cates before him
assuring themselves that he was missing nothing.

In direct antithesis to this wolfish feeding were the manners of Oliver
Laurence. He toyed with his victuals, cutting them into the littlest
pieces and almost flirting with his glass of wine.

Ezra P. Hipps ate and drank, as he did everything else in
life--thoroughly and with conviction. The meal finished he pushed back
his chair, unlocked the door, tilted his head to indicate to the
servants that they could get out, locked the door again and crossed to
the mantelpiece.

"Cigar," he said.

Laurence provided one and offered a light. Hipps shook his head and
sticking the cigar in his mouth he proceeded to eat it with a curious
rotary motion.

"Now!" he said and it sounded like a blow upon a gong.

"Curtain up," said Richard and steeled himself for any eventuality.

"You're caught, Mr. Barraclough."

"But not caught out," came the instant reply.

"Ever handled a cheque for a million pounds?"

"I have not."

"Van!"

Mr. Van Diest felt in his pockets and produced a banker's draft which
he laid on the table before Richard. It was payable to the order of
Anthony Barraclough.

Richard flicked it aside.

"Old ground," he said. "No good to me, gentlemen."

"Let's talk."

"Fire away."

"I needn't repeat what you have to do to earn that trifle, Anthony, but
here's a point worth considering. Doubtless you got the idea the price
we're willing to pay'll rise. You're wrong--it'll fall. If you speak
tonight that draft's yours and an interest beside, but every day you
keep us waiting'll cost you fifty thousand pounds."

"Thank God I can afford it," said Richard.

"Roughly speaking it'll pan out over a period of three weeks, at the
end of which time you get just nothing, savez?"

"I savez that you and I will be in the same position at the end as we
are at the beginning."

Ezra P. Hipps shook his head gravely but his metallic blue eyes never
shifted their gaze for an instant.

"Tony boy," he said. "The price isn't solely financial. There's a
little physical programme in the skyline. Get me?"

"Sounds like a threat."

"And is," came the rejoinder.

"Interesting."

The American took three steps forward and leant across the table.

"For example," he said, "you smoke too much and smoking'll be
curtailed."

With a quick movement he plucked the cigarette from R