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"DoI？"saidhe。
"Ofcourse，"wentonTaylorafteramoment，"wehaveastrongpresumptionofconspiracytogetholdofyourBoomCompanystock，whichIbelieveyouputupassecurity。ButIdon’tseehowwehaveanyincontestableproofofit。"
"Proof？Whatmoredowewant？"
"We’dhavenowitnesstoanyofthesetransactions；norhavewedocumentaryproofs。It’smerelymoralcertainty；andmoralcertaintyisn’tmuchinacourtoflaw。I’llseehim，ifyousayso，though，andscarehimintosomesortofanarrangement。"
Ordeshookhishead。
"No，"saidhedecidedly。"Rathernot。I’llrunthis。Pleasesaynothing。"
"Ofcoursenot！"interjectedTaylor，atrifleindignantly。
"AndI’llfigureoutwhatIwanttodo。"
OrdepressedTaylortostaytosupper；butthelatterdeclined。
Afterafewmoments’conversationongeneraltopicsthelawyertookhisdeparture，secretlymarvellingoverthephlegmaticwayinwhichOrdehadtakenwhathadbeentoTaylor，whenhefirststumbledagainstit，ashockingpieceofnews。
XLVII
Ordedidnotwishtoreturntotheofficeuntilhehadworkedhisproblemout；so，tolendhisabsencethecolourofnaturalness，hedrovebacknextmorningtothebooms。Therehefoundenoughtokeephimoccupiedallthatdayandthenext。Asinthosetimesthelongdistancetelephonehadnotyetbeenattempted，hewascutofffromcasualcommunicationwiththevillage。Lateintheafternoonhereturnedhome。
AtelephonetoCarrollapprisedhimthatallwaswellwithher。A
fewmomentslaterthecallsounded，andOrdetookamessagethatcausedhimtolookgraveandtowhistlegentlywithsurprise。HeatesupperwithBobby。Aboutstar—timehetookhishatandwalkedslowlydownthestreetbeneaththevelvetdarknessofthemaples。
AtNewmark’sheturnedinbetweentheoleanders。
Mallockansweredhisring。
"No，sir，Mr。Newmarkisout，sir，"saidMallock。"I’lltellhimyoucalled，sir，"andstartedrespectfullybutfirmlytoclosethedoor。
ButOrdethrusthisfootandkneeintheopening。
"I’llcomeinandwait，"saidhequietly。
"Yes，sir，thisway，sir，"saidMallock，tryingtoindicatethedining—room，wherehewishedOrdetosituntilhecouldcomeathismaster’swishesinthematter。
Ordecaughtthearomaoftobaccoandtheglimmeroflighttotheleft。Withoutreplyheturnedtheknobofthedoorandenteredthelibrary。
TherehefoundNewmarkineveningdress，seatedinaloweasychairbeneathalamp，smoking，andreadingamagazine。AtOrde’sappearanceinthedoorway，helookedupcalmly，hispaperknifepoised，keepingtheplace。
"Oh，it’syou，Orde，"saidhe。
"Yourmantoldmeyouwerenotin，"saidOrde。
"Hewasmistaken。Won’tyousitdown？"
OrdeenteredtheroomandmechanicallyobeyedNewmark’ssuggestion，hismannerpreoccupied。Forsometimehestaredwithwrinkledbrowatapointabovetheilluminationofthelamp。Newmark，overtheendofhiscigar，poisedafootfromhislips，watchedtherivermanwithacoolcalculation。
"Newmark，"Ordebeganabruptlyatlast，"Iknowallaboutthisdeal。"
"Whatdeal？"askedNewmark，afterabarelyperceptiblepause。
"ThisarrangementyoumadewithHeinzman。"
"IborrowedsomemoneyfromHeinzmanforthefirm。"
"Yes；andyousuppliedthatmoneyyourself。"
Newmark’seyesnarrowed，buthesaidnothing。Ordeglancedtowardhim，thenawayagain，asthoughashamed。
"Well，"saidNewmarkatlast，"whatofit？"
"Ifyouhadthemoneytolendwhydidn’tyoulenditdirect？"
"Becauseitlooksbettertomortgagetoanoutsideholder。"
AnexpressionofprofounddisgustflittedacrossOrde’scountenance。
Newmarksmiledcovertly，andpuffedonceortwicestronglyonhisnearlyextinctcigar。
"Thatwasnotthereason，"wentonOrde。"YouagreedwithHeinzmantodividewhenyousucceededinforeclosingmeoutofthetimberlandsgivenassecurity。FurthermoreyouinstructedFloydtogooutontheeveofthatblowinspiteofhiswarnings；andyoucontractedwithMcLeodforthenewvessels；andyou’vetiedusuprightandleftforthesolepurposeofpinchingusdownwherewecouldn’tmeetthosenotes。That’stheonlyreasonyouborrowedtheseventy—fivethousandonyourownaccount；sowecouldn’tborrowittosaveourselves。"
"Itstrikesmeyouareinterestingbutinconclusive，"saidNewmark，asOrdepausedagain。
"Thatsortofthingissomewhatofafacer，"wentonOrdewithouttheslightestattentiontotheinterjection。"Ittookmesomedaystoworkitoutinallitsdetails；butIbelieveIunderstanditallnow。Idon’tquiteunderstandhowyoudiscoveredaboutmyCaliforniatimber。That’investigation’wasaveryprettymove。"
"Howthedevildidyougetontothat？"criedNewmark，startledforamomentoutofhiscoolattitudeofcynicalaloofness。
"Thenyouacknowledgeit？"shotinOrdequickasaflash。
Newmarklaughedinamusement。
"Whyshouldn’tI？OfcourseHeinzmanblabbed。Youcouldn’thavegotitallanywhereelse。"
Ordearosetohisfeet，andhalfsatagainonthearmofhischair。
"NowI’lltellyouwhatwewilldointhismatter，"saidhecrisply。
ButNewmarkunexpectedlytooktheaggressive。
"We’llfollow，"saidhe，"theoriginalprogramme，aslaiddownbymyself。I’mtiredofdealingwithblunderingfools。Heinzman’smortgagewillbeforeclosed；andyouwillhandoveraspertheagreementyourBoomCompanystock。"
Ordestaredathiminamazement。
"Imustsayyouhavegoodnerve，"hesaid；"youdon’tseemtorealisethatyouareprettywelltangledup。Idon’tknowwhattheycallit：criminalconspiracy，orsomethingofthatsort，Isuppose。
Sofarfromhandingovertoyouthebulkofmyproperty，Icansendyoutothepenitentiary。"
"Nonsense，"rejoinedNewmark，leaningforwardinhisturn。"Iknowyoutoowell，JackOrde。You’reafoolofmorekindsthanIcaretocount，andthisisoneofthekinds。Doyouseriouslymeantosaythatyoudaretrytoprosecuteme？Justassureasyoudo，I’llputHeinzmaninthepentoo。I’vegotitonhim，COLD。He’sabribegiver——andsomewhatofacriminalconspiratorhimself。"
"Well，"saidOrde。
Newmarkleanedbackwithanamusedlittlechuckle。"Ifthemanhadn’tcometoyouandgiventhewholeshowaway，you’dhavelosteverycentyouowned。Hedidyouthebiggestfavourinhispower。
AndforyourbenefitI’lltellyouwhatyoucaneasilysubstantiate；
Iforcedhimintothisdealwithme。Ihadthisbriberycaseonhim；andinadditionhisownaffairswerealltiedup。"
"Iknewthat，"repliedOrde。
"Whathadthemantogainbytellingyou？"pursuedNewmark。
"Nothingatall。Whathadhetolose？Everything：hisproperty，hissocialposition，hisdaughter’sesteem，whichtheoldfoolholdshigherthananyofthem。Youcouldputmeinthepen，perhaps——withHeinzman’stestimony。ButtheminuteHeinzmanappearsonthestand，I’lllandhimhighanddryandgasping，withoutachancetoflop。"
Hepausedamomenttopuffathiscigar。Findingithadgoneout，helaidthebuttcarefullyontheashtrayathiselbow。
"I’mnotmuchusedtogivingadvice，"hewenton，"leastofallwhenitisatalllikelytobetaken。ButI’llofferyousome。ThrowHeinzmanover。Lethimgotothepen。He’sbeencrooked，andafool。"
"That’swhatyou’ddo，Isuppose，"saidOrde。
"Exactlythat。Youo
