them;
we did not ask him that either. We can't afford to question the motives
of people who bring us these exclusive tips. We pay a fancy price for
them and that lets us out. Besides, these photographs seemed to speak
for themselves. So we paid him the price he asked for the use of them.
Destroying these copies wouldn't help you any. That man still has the
plates; he could print them over again. The only hope you've got is to
get hold of those plates. And I'm afraid he'll ask a big price for
them."

"How big a price?"

"That I couldn't say without seeing him. Knowing the sort of person he
is, my guess is that he'd expect you to hand him over a good-sized chunk
of money to begin with--as a proof of your intentions to do business
with him. You'd have to pay him in cash; he'd be too wise to take a
check. And then he might want so much apiece for each plate or he might
insist on your paying him a lump sum for the whole lot. You see, what he
evidently expects to do is to sell them to your husband, and he'd expect
you at least to meet the price your husband would have to pay. Any way
you look at it he's got you at his mercy--and, as I see it, you'll
probably have to come to his terms if you want to keep this thing a
secret."

"Where is this man? You keep saying you want to serve me--can't you
bring him to me?"

"I'm afraid he wouldn't come. If he's engaged in a shady business--if
he's cooked up a deliberate scheme to trap you--he won't come near you.
That's my guess. But if you are willing to trust me to act as your
representative maybe the whole thing might be arranged and no one except
us ever be the wiser for it."

Mrs. Propbridge being an average woman did what the average woman, thus
cruelly circumstanced and sorely frightened and half frantic and
lacking advice from honest folk, would do. She paid and she paid and she
kept on paying. First off, it appeared the paper had to be recompensed
for its initial outlay and for various vaguely explained incidental
expenses which it had incurred in connection with the affair. Then,
through Townsend, the unknown principal demanded that a larger sum
should be handed over as an evidence of good faith on her part before he
would consider further negotiations. This, though, turned out to be only
the beginning of the extortion processes.

When, on this pretext and that, she had been mulcted of nearly fourteen
thousand dollars, when her personal bank account had been exhausted,