tomach, hoarse in the voice, and weak in the legs. Both his eyes
were bloodshot, and one was fixed in his head. He smelled of spirits, and
carried a toothpick in his mouth.

"How are you? I've just done dinner," says he; and he lights a cigar, sits
down with his legs crossed, and winks at me.

I tried at first to take the measure of him in a wheedling, confidential
way; but it was no good. I asked him, in a facetious, smiling manner, how
he had got hold of the letter. He only told me in answer that he had been
in the confidential employment of the writer of it, and that he had always
been famous since infancy for a sharp eye to his own interests.

I paid him some compliments; but he was not to be flattered. I tried to
make him lose his temper; but he kept it in spite of me. It ended in his
driving me to my last resource--I made an attempt to frighten him.

"Before we say a word about the money," I began, "let me put a case, Mr.
Davager. The pull you have on Mr. Francis Gatliffe is, that you can hinder
his marriage on Wednesday. Now, suppose I have got a magistrate's warrant
to apprehend you in my pocket? Suppose I have a constable to execute it in
the next room? Suppose I bring you up to-morrow--the day before the
marriage--charge you only generally with an attempt to extort money, and
apply for a day's remand to complete the case? Suppose, as a suspicious
stranger, you can't get bail in this town? Suppose----"

"Stop a bit," says Mr. Davager. "Suppose I should not be the greenest fool
that ever stood in shoes? Suppose I should not carry the letter about me?
Suppose I should have given a certain envelope to a certain friend of mine
in a certain place in this town? Suppose the letter should be inside that
envelope, directed to old Gatliffe, side by side with a copy of the letter
directed to the editor of the local paper? Suppose my friend should be
instructed to open the envelope, and take the letters to their right
addresses, if I don't appear to claim them from him this evening? In
short, my dear sir, suppose you were born yesterday, and suppose I
wasn't?" says Mr. Davager, and winks at me again.

He didn't take me by surprise, for I never expected that he had the letter
about him. I made a pretense of being very much taken aback, and of being
quite ready to give in. We settled our business about delivering the
letter, and handing over the money, in no time.

I was to draw out a document, which he was to sign. He