covered himself somewhat.

"I--"

"Go and bury yourself!" said Edward Henry, with increased savagery.

Mr. Wrissell, having comprehended, went. He really did go. He
could not tolerate scenes, and his glance showed that any forcible
derangement of his habit of existing smoothly would nakedly disclose
the unyielding adamantine selfishness that was the basis of the
Wrissell philosophy. His glance was at least harsh and bitter. He went
in silence, and rapidly. Mr. Slosson, senior, followed him at a great
pace.

Edward Henry was angry. Strange though it may seem, the chief cause of
his anger was the fact that his own manners and breeding were lower,
coarser, clumsier, more brutal than Mr. Wrissell's.

After what appeared to be a considerable absence Mr. Slosson, senior,
returned into the room. Edward Henry, steeped in peculiar meditations,
was repeating:

"So this is Slosson's!"

"What's that?" demanded Mr. Slosson with a challenge in his ancient
but powerful voice.

"Nowt!" said Edward Henry.

"Now, sir," said Mr. Slosson, "we'd better come to an understanding
about this so-called option. It's not serious, you know."

"You'll find it is."

"It's not commercial."

"I fancy it is--for me!" said Edward Henry.

"The premium mentioned is absurdly inadequate, and the ground-rent is
quite improperly low."

"That's just why I look on it as commercial--from my point of view,"
said Edward Henry.

"It isn't worth the paper it's written on," said Mr. Slosson.

"Why?"

"Because, seeing the unusual form of it, it ought to be stamped, and
it isn't stamped."

"Listen here, Mr. Slosson," said Edward Henry, "I want you to remember
that you're talking to a lawyer."

"A lawyer?"

"I was in the law for years," said Edward Henry. "And you know as
well as I do that I can get the option stamped at any time by paying a
penalty--which at worst will be a trifle compared to the value of the
option."

"Ah!" Mr. Slosson paused, and resumed his puffing, which
exercise--perhaps owing to undue excitement--he had pretermitted.
"Then further, the deed isn't drawn up."

"That's not my fault."

"Further, the option is not transferable."

"We shall see about that."

"And the money ought to be paid down to-day, even on your own
showing--every cent of it, in cash."

"Here is the money," said Edward Henry, drawing his pocket-book from
his breast. "Every cent of it, in the finest brand of bank-notes!"

He flung down the notes