of such an underbred and dirty--"

Harmon plucked him by the sleeve, but Draymore shook him off, his little
piggish eyes sparkling.

"What do I care!" he sneered, losing his temper; "we're in the clutches
of a vulgar, skinflint Dutchman, and he'll wring _us_ dry whether or
not we curse _him_ out. Didn't I tell you that Philip Selwyn had nothing
to do with it? If he had, and I was wrong, our journey here might as
well have been made to Neergard's office. For any man who will do such a
filthy thing--"

"One moment, Draymore," cut in Selwyn; and his voice rang unpleasantly;
"if you are simply complaining because you have been outwitted, go
ahead; but if you think there has been any really dirty business in this
matter, go to Mr. Neergard. Otherwise, being his associate, I shall not
only decline to listen but also ask you to leave my apartments."

"Captain Selwyn is perfectly right," observed Orchil coolly. "Do you
think, Draymore, that it is very good taste in you to come into a man's
place and begin slanging and cursing a member of his firm for crooked
work?"

"Besides," added Mottly, "it's not crooked; it's only contemptible.
Anyway, we know with whom we have to deal, now; but some of you fellows
must do the dealing--I'd rather pay and keep away than ask Neergard to
go easy--and have him do it."

"I don't know," said Fane, grinning his saurian grin, "why you all
assume that Neergard is such a social outcast. I played cards with him
last week and he lost like a gentleman."

"I didn't say he was a social outcast," retorted Mottly--"because he's
never been inside of anything to be cast out, you know."

"He seems to be inside this deal," ventured Orchil with his suave smile.
And to Selwyn, who had been restlessly facing first one, then another:
"We came--it was the idea of several among us--to put the matter up to
you. Which was rather foolish, because you couldn't have engineered the
thing and remained what we know you to be. So--"

"Wait!" said Selwyn brusquely; "I do not admit for one moment that there
is anything dishonourable in this deal!--nor do I accept your right to
question it from that standpoint. As far as I can see, it is one of
those operations which is considered clever among business folk, and
which is admired and laughed over in reputable business circles. And I
have no doubt that hundreds of well-meaning business men do that sort of
thing daily--yes, thousands!" He shrugged his broad shoulders.
"