very evening
to the diamond merchants about town and give them a tip about the coming
fall in prices that would rather astonish 'em."

"Look here, Major Clutterbuck," cried the merchant, in a voice which
quivered with suppressed passion, "you have come into possession of an
important commercial secret. Why beat about the bush any longer?
What is the object of your visit to-day? What is it that you want?"

"There now!" the major said, addressing himself and smiling more
amicably than ever. "That's business. Bedad, there's where you
commercial men have the pull. You go straight to the point and stick
there. Ah, when I look at ye, I can't help thinking of your son.
The same intelligent eye, the same cheery expression, the same
devil-may-care manner and dry humour--"

"Answer my question, will you?" the merchant interrupted savagely.

"And the same hasty timper," continued the major imperturbably.
"I've forgotten, me dear sir, what it was you asked me."

"What is it you want?"

"Ah, yes, of course. What is it I want?" the old soldier said
meditatively. "Some would say more, some less. Some would want half,
but that is overdoing it. How does a thousand pound stroike you?
Yes, I think we may put it at a thousand pounds."

"You want a thousand pounds?"

"Ged, I've been wanting it all me life. The difference is that I'm
going to git it now."

"And for what?"

"Sure, for silence--for neutrality. We're all in it now, and there's a
fair division of labour. You plan, your son works, I hold me tongue.
You make your tens of thousands, I make my modest little thousand.
We all git paid for our throuble."

"And suppose I refuse?"

"Ah! but you wouldn't--you couldn't," the major said suavely.
"Ged, sir, I haven't known ye long, but I have far too high an opinion
of ye to suppose ye could do anything so foolish. If you refuse, your
speculation is thrown away. There's no help for it. Bedad, it would be
painful for me to have to blow the gaff; but you know the old saying,
that 'charity begins at home.' You must sell your knowledge at the best
market."

Girdlestone thought intently for a minute or two, with his great
eyebrows drawn down over his little restless eyes.

"You said to my son," he remarked at last, "that you were too honourable
to embark in our undertaking. Do you consider it honourable to make use
of knowledge gained in confidence for the purpose of extorting money?"

"Me dear sir," answered