I told her 'no.'"

"You ought to have taken her up."

"I don't know about that. This business is a sure thing one way, but in
another, it isn't. It's a big thing. If we can swing it, it's all right.
If we can't, it's going to go hard with the small fry. I may want to
look into those big black eyes of hers again sometime."

"Why haven't you introduced me to Helen Lonsdale before?"

Winston was surprised, more at the manner of Elijah's question than at
the question itself. He shifted the onus of the surprise to Elijah's
shoulders.

"Why should I?" he asked bluntly.

"That's a Yankee trick, not a Californian's," retorted Elijah.

"I'm not too old to learn."

Elijah laughed consciously.

"It doesn't matter. We're acquainted now."

"It's up to you to make it worth her while to keep it up. She's rather
particular about her friends."

Elijah was irritated, and not for the first time in his relations with
Winston. Winston seemed to him to be contradictory. At times he was
deferential to the point of enthusiasm; at times reserved, if not
cynical. Elijah was not a close reasoner and he failed to understand
that Winston's principles were a kind of moral straight-edge which he
applied impartially. Winston had no hesitancy in calling attention to
discrepancies.

"Helen Londsdale is a mighty bright girl. She may be of use to us,"
hazarded Elijah.

Winston's momentary glance was searching.

"I expect she will be," he answered curtly.

After a short pause, Elijah resumed the broken conversation.

"You're going for Seymour?"

"Oh, yes. That's all right. A few hundred thousand wouldn't hurt
Seymour. Five thousand would break Helen Lonsdale. Beside, if Seymour
takes hold of it, it's going."

Elijah changed the point bluntly.

"Well, who's going to do the talking? You've done all the work and made
out the estimates; you'd better. We don't want to make any mistakes."

"That's all right Elijah, but it isn't always the folks who make the
cartridges that shoot the straightest. I'll stand by to furnish
ammunition if you run short, but you work the trigger." Winston laughed.
"I loaded him with estimates and facts. They're good so far as they go;
but you know that champagne is pretty flat without the fizz. Here he
comes now."

A man of medium height entered the office. There was more than a
suggestion of iron about him. Iron-gray hair and mustache; steely, quick
moving eyes, but not restless; hard lines that blocked ou