“Itwasyouyourself，“Mr。Sabinremindedhim，“whobeggedmenottoenterintoparticulars。YousentmeontoMr。Skinner。Itoldhimeverything。“
Mr。Horserleanedoverthetable。Hiseyeswerebloodshot，histonewasfierceandthreatening。Mr。Sabinwascoldlycourteous。
Thedifferencebetweenthedemeanourofthetwomenwasremarkable。
“Youknewwhatthoselettersmeant！Thisisaplot！WhereisSkinner’sreport？“
Mr。Sabinraisedhiseyebrows。Hesignaledtothehead-waiter。
“Besogoodastocontinuetheserviceofmydinner，“heordered。
“Thechampagneisatrifletoochilled。Youcantakeitoutofthecooler。“
Themanbowed，withacurioussideglanceatHorser。
“Certainly，yourGrace！“
Horserwasalmostspeechlesswithanger。
“Areyougoingtoanswermyquestions？“hedemandedthickly。
“Ihavenoparticularobjectiontodoingso，“Mr。Sabinanswered，“butuntilyoucansitupandcomposeyourselflikeanordinaryindividual，Ideclinetoenterintoanyconversationwithyouatall。“
AgainMr。Horserraisedhisvoice，andtheglareinhiseyeswasliketheglareofawildbeast。
“DoyouknowwhoIam？“heasked。“Doyouknowwhoyou’retalkingto？“
Mr。Sabinlookedathimcoolly，andfingeredhiswineglass。
“Well，“hesaid，“I’veashockingmemoryfornames，butyoursis-Mr。Horser，isn’tit？Ihearditforthefirsttimethismorning，andmymemorywillgenerallycarrymethroughfour-and-twentyhours。“
Therewasamoment’ssilence。Horserwasnofool。Heacceptedhisdefeatanddroppedthebully。
“You’reastrangerinthiscity，Mr。Sabin，andIguessyouaren’taltogetheracquaintedwithourwaysyet，“hesaid。“ButIwantyoutounderstandthis。Thereportwhichisinyourpockethasgottobereturnedtome。IfI’dknownwhatIwasmeddlingwithIwouldn’thavetouchedyourbusinessforahundredthousanddollars。It’sgottobereturnedtome，Isay！“herepeatedinamorethreateningtone。
Mr。Sabinhelpedhimselftofish，andmadeacarefulexaminationofthesauce。
“Afterall，“hesaidmeditatively，“IamnotsurethatIwaswiseininsistinguponasaucepiquante。Ibegyourpardon，Mr。Horser。
Pleasedonotthinkmeinattentive，butIamveryhungry。So，I
believe，ismyfriend，Mr。Skinner。Willyounotjoinus-orperhapsyouhavealreadydined？“
TherewasanuglyflushinMr。Horser’scheeks，buthestruggledtokeephiscomposure。
“Willyougivemebackthatreport？“
“WhenIhavereadit，withpleasure，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Before，no。“
Mr。Horserswallowedanexceedinglyviciousoath。Hestruckthetablelightlywithhisforefinger。
“Lookhere，“hesaid。“Ifyou’dlivedinNewYorkacoupleofyears，evenacoupleofmonths，youwouldn’ttalklikethat。ItellyouthatIholdthegovernmentofthiscityinmyrighthand。I
don’twanttobeunpleasant，butifthatpaperisnotinmyhandsbythetimeyouleavethistableIshallhaveyouarrestedasyouleavethisroom，andthepaperstakenfromyou。“
“Dearme，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“thisisserious。OnwhatchargemayI
askshouldIbeexposedtothisinconvenience？“
“Chargebedamned！“Mr。Horseranswered。“Thepolicedon’twantparticularsfromme。WhenIsaydoathingtheydoit。Theyknowthatiftheydeclineditwouldbetheirlastdayontheforce。“
Mr。Sabinfilledhisglassandleanedbackinhischair。
“This，“heremarked，“isinteresting。Iamalwaysgladtohavetheopportunityofgaininganinsightintothecustomsofdifferentcountries。IhadanideathatAmericawasacountryremarkablefortheamountoflibertyenjoyedbyitsinhabitants。Yourproposedcourseofactionseemsscarcelyinkeepingwiththis。“
“Whatareyougoingtodo？Come，I’vegottohaveananswer。“
“Idon’tquiteunderstand，“Mr。Sabinremarked，withapuzzledlook，“whatyourofficialpositionisinconnectionwiththepolice。“
Mr。Horser’sfacewasaveryuglysight。“Oh，cursemyofficialposition，“heexclaimedthickly。“IfyouwantproofofwhatIsayyoushallhaveitinlessthanfiveminutes。Skinner，beoffandfetchacoupleofconstables。“
“Ireallymustprotest，“Mr。Sabinsaid。“Mr。Skinnerismyguest，andIwillnothavehimtreatedinthisfashion，justastheterrapiniscomingin，too。Sitdown，Mr。Skinner，sitdown。I
willsettlethismatterwithyouinmyroom，Mr。Horser，afterI
havedined。Iwillnotevendiscussitbefore。“
Mr。Horseropenedhismouthtwice，andcloseditagain。Heknewthathisopponentwassimplyplayingtogaintime，but，afterall，heheldthetrumpcard。Hecouldaffordtowait。Heturnedtoawaiterandorderedacigar。Mr。SabinandMr。Skinnercontinuedtheirdinner。
Conversationwasalittledifficult，thoughMr。Sabinshowednosignsofanimpairedappetite。Skinnerwaswhitewithfear，andglancedeverynowandthennervouslyathischief。Mr。Horsersmokedwithoutceasing，andmaintainedanominoussilence。Mr。
Sabinatlast，withasigh，rose，andlightingacigarette，tookhisstickfromthewaiterandpreparedtoleave。
“Ifear，Mr。Horser，“heremarked，“thatyourpresencehasscarcelycontributedtothecheerfulnessofourrepast。Mr。Skinner，amI
tobefavouredwithyourcompanyalsoupstairs？“
Horserclutchedthatgentleman’sarmandwhisperedafewwordsinhisear。
“Mr。Skinner，“hesaid，“willjoinuspresently。Whatisyournumber？“
“336，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Youwillexcusemysomewhatslowprogress。“
Theycrossedthehallandenteredtheelevator。Mr。Horser’sfacebegantoclear。InamomentortwotheywouldbeinMr。Sabin’ssitting-room-alone。Heregardedwithsatisfactiontheother’sslim，delicatefigureandthelimpwithwhichhemoved。Hefeltthatthedangerwasalreadyover。
BUT，afterall，thingsdidnotexactlyturnoutasMr。Horserhadimagined。Thesightoftheemptyroomandthecloseddoorweresatisfactoryenough，andhedidnothesitateforamoment。
“Lookhere，sir，“hesaid，“youandIaregoingtosettlethismatterquick。WhateveryoupaidSkinneryoucanhavebackagain。
ButI’mgoingtohavethatreport。“
Hetookaquickstepforwardwithupliftedhand-andlookedintotheshiningmuzzleofatinyrevolver。BehinditMr。Sabin’sface，nolongerpleasantandcourteous，hadtakentoitselfsomeverygrimlines。
“Iamaweakman，Mr。Horser，butIamneverwithoutthemeansofself-defence，“Mr。Sabinsaidinastill，coldtone。“Besogoodastositdowninthateasy-chair。“
Mr。Horserhesitated。Foronemomenthestoodasthoughabouttocarryouthisfirstintention。Hestoodglaringathisopponent，hisfacecontractedintoasnarl，hiswholeappearancehideous，almostbestial。Mr。Sabinsmileduponhimcontemptuously-themaddening，compellingsmileofthebornaristocrat。
“Sitdown！“
Mr。Horsersatdown，whereuponMr。Sabinfollowedsuit。
“Nowwhathaveyoutosaytome？“Mr。Sabinaskedquietly。
“Iwantthatreport，“wasthedoggedanswer。
“Youwillnothaveit，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Youcantakethatforgranted。Youshallnottakeitfrommebyforce，andIwillseethatyoudonotcharmitoutofmypocketbyothermeans。Theinformationwhichitcontainsisoftheutmostpossibleimportancetome。Ihaveboughtitandpaidforit，andIshalluseit。“
Mr。Horsermoistenedhisdrylips。
“Iwillgiveyou，“hesaid，“twentythousanddollarsforitsreturn。“
Mr。Sabinlaughedsoftly。
“Youbidhigh，“hesaid。“Ibegintosuspectthatourfriendsontheothersideofthewaterhavebeenmorethanordinarilykindtoyou。“
“Iwillgiveyou-fortythousanddollars。“
Mr。Sabinraisedhiseyebrows。
“Somuch？Afterall，thatsoundsmorelikefearthananything。
Youcannothopetomakeaprofitabledealoutofthat。Dearme！
ItseemsonlyafewminutesagothatIheardyourinterestingfriend，Mr。Skinner，shakewithlaughteratthementionofsuchathingasasecretsociety。“
“Skinnerisablastedfool，“Horserexclaimedfiercely。“Listenhere，Mr。Sabin。Youcanreadthatreportifyoumust，but，asI’malivingmanyou’llnotstirfromNewYorkifyoudo。I’llmakeyourlifeahellforyou。Don’tyouunderstandthatnoonebutabornfoolwoulddaretoquarrelwithmeinthiscity？I
holdtheprisonkeys，thepolicearemine。Ishallmakemyowncharge，whateverIchoose，andtheyshallproveitforme。“
Mr。Sabinshookhishead。
