you don'tpay me there are others who no doubt will."
Zertho sprang quickly from his chair with a look of murderous hatred inhis dark face and flashing eyes. "You would still threaten me!" he saidbetween his teeth. "You taunt me because you believe I am entirely inyour hands."
"I do not believe," the other replied with cool indifference. "I know."
"You are an infernal scoundrel!"
"I might pass a similar compliment," he said. "But I see no reason whythe pot should comment unfavourably upon the blackness of the kettle.I'm merely assisting you to obtain a pretty wife--a wife, by Heaven, toopure and good and beautiful for any such as you, and--"
"What do you mean?" Zertho interrupted with a start. This manevidently knew more than he had suspected. "You are not assisting me inthe least."
But Richards laughed aloud, and with a deprecatory wave of the hand,replied,--
"It's no good to bluff me. I know it is your intention to marry LianeBrooker, whose beauty is so admired everywhere, and who is as good asshe's pretty. I happen to know something of her--more, perhaps, thanyou think. Well, only by my assistance can you obtain her. Therefore,you won't be such an idiot as to quarrel with me."
"I do not quarrel," Zertho answered in a much more conciliatory tone."I only protest against your infernal taunts and insolence."
"Then the matter resolves itself into a simple one--a mere question ofprice."
"I refuse to treat with you."
"Then you will not marry Liane. She will be spared the misery ofbecoming Princess d'Auzac."
"Misery!" he echoed. "I can give her wealth, position--everything whichmakes a woman happy."
"I doubt whether any woman can be happy with a man whose conscience isovershadowed, like yours," his companion observed. "Why, her face wouldremind you hourly of that which you must be ever striving to forget."
"What does it matter to you?" he snarled. "I shall marry her."
"Then before doing so you will pay me for my services. Your stroke is abold one, Zertho, but remember that you can marry her only through me.It is worth a good sum to obtain such a beautiful wife."
"Whatever it may be worth, you'll never get it," d'Auzac declareddeterminedly.
The two men faced each other.
"In which case she will be enabled to release herself," observed theinventor of the infallible system.
"Who will suffer, then? Why you, yourself." Zertho stood leaning uponthe back of the armchair in which he had been sitting. He well knew bythis man's attitude that he meant to "squeeze" him. Nevertheless, hetreated his remarks with derision, laughing disdainfully.
"You appear to fancy that because you are now wealthy no words of minecan injure you," the thin-faced man said. "Well, you are welcome tothat opinion. The ostrich buries its head in the sand when pursued.You bury yours in the millions which have unexpectedly come to you."
"It is sufficient for you to know that I'll never part with anothersou," Zertho answered with impatience.
"Very well, my dear friend, we shall see. Of all men you in the pasthave been among the most discreet, and none have ever accused you of thefolly of impatience; but I tell you plainly that you shall never marryLiane Brooker," he said distinctly, without the slightest undue warmth.
"I intend to marry her," Zertho answered. "In a month she will be mywife."
"You dare not act like that."
"But I shall."
"Then you defy me? Very good. We now understand one another."
"No, I do not defy you," Zertho exclaimed quickly. "But in this matterI shall follow my own inclination entirely. I intend to marry Brooker'sdaughter."
"Without my sanction?"
"Don't you intend to give it? It surely is no affair of yours?"
"No, I shall not give it," he answered carelessly tossing his deadcigar-end into the ash-tray. "Liane shall never become your wife."
"What! you would tell her?" Zertho gasped, his face suddenly pale andanxious.
"I have already told you that I'm not in the habit of showing myopponent my hand."
"I love Liane. I must marry her," he blurted forth.
"Love! Fancy you, Zertho d'Auzac, declaring that you love a woman!" theman exclaimed, laughing heartily in derision. "The thing's too absurd.I know you too well."
Zertho bit his lip. If any other man had spoken thus he would haveknocked him down; but, truth to tell, he was afraid of this dark-faced,crafty-eyed Englishman. Since first he had known him, in the days whenhe was down on his luck, he had always felt an antipathy towards him,because he treated everything and everybody with such amazingly coolindifference. He saw that money only would appease him. He calculatedroughly how much he had already paid him, and the reflection caused himto knit his brows.
"A few minutes ago you said it was a question of price," he said atlength. "Well, what are your views?"
"Since then they have changed."
"Changed! How?"
"You say that I have received from you all that you intend I shallreceive. Well, let it remain so. You will not marry her."
Zertho regarded him with a puzzled expression.
"I asked you to name your price," he said. "What is it?"
Max Richards, lying back in his chair, his hands clasped behind hishead, turned towards his visitor and answered,--
"I have offered to treat with you, but you refused. My offer istherefore withdrawn. I have enough money at present. When I want moreI shall come to you."
"But, my dear fellow," exclaimed Zertho, dismayed, "you cannot mean thatyou refuse to accept anything further for the slight service you have,up to the present, rendered me?"
"Our compact is at an end," the man answered coldly. "No word will passmy lips on one condition, namely, that you release Liane, and--"
"I will never do that!" he cried in fierce determination. "She shall bemy wife. Come, name your own terms."
"Ah! I thought you would not be so unwise as to utterly defy me!"exclaimed the man, smiling in triumph. "The prize is too great torelinquish, eh?"
Zertho nodded.
"Come, don't name a figure too exorbitant. Let it be within reason," hesaid.
"It will be entirely within reason," the other answered, fixing his darkeyes intently upon Zertho's.
"Well?"
"Nothing!" he laughed.
"Nothing? I don't understand."
"I want nothing," he repeated, rousing himself, and bending forward inthe lamplight, his eyes still fixed upon the man he was addressing.
"You refuse?"
"Yes, I refuse," he said in a deep intense voice. "I have, it is true,bought and sold many things in my brief and not unblameworthy career,but I have never yet sold a pure woman's life, and by Heaven! I neverwill!"
Zertho stood in abject dismay. He had been utterly unprepared for this.Anger consumed him when he recognised how completely he had beenmisled, and how suddenly all his plans were checkmated by this man'sunexpected caprice.
"You've suddenly withdrawn into the paths of rectitude," he observedwith a sickly smile when at last he found voice. "It will be a new andinteresting experience, no doubt."
"Possibly."
"Come, Richards," Zertho exclaimed, after a brief pause, "it's uselessto prevaricate any longer. Let us settle the business. I intendmarrying Liane, but I am ready to admit that this is possible only withyour assistance. For the latter I am prepared to continue to pay as Ihave already done. Name the amount, and the thing can be settled atonce."
"I will name no amount. I decline to barter away Liane's happiness."
"You wish me to name a sum--eh? Well, what do you say to five hundredpounds down? Recollect how much you've already had off me."
The other's lip curled contemptuously, as he shook his head.
"Well, I'll double it. A thousand."
Their gaze met. Max Richards again shook his head.
Zertho, with a sudden movement, pulled his wallet from his pocket,withdrew hi
s cheque-book, and taking up a pen from the table, scribbledout a draft upon the Credit Lyonnais, and filled it in for fiftythousand francs.
Tearing it out roughly he tossed it across to his companion, exclaimingwith a bitter smile,--
"There you are. I've doubled it a third time. Surely that's sufficientas lip-salve?"
The other stretched forth his hand unsteadily, hesitated for a singleinstant, then slowly