“Itwasyouyourself，“Mr。Sabinremindedhim，“whobeggedmenottoenterintoparticulars。YousentmeontoMr。Skinner。Itoldhimeverything。“
　　Mr。Horserleanedoverthetable。Hiseyeswerebloodshot，histonewasfierceandthreatening。Mr。Sabinwascoldlycourteous。
　　Thedifferencebetweenthedemeanourofthetwomenwasremarkable。
　　“Youknewwhatthoselettersmeant！Thisisaplot！WhereisSkinner’sreport？“
　　Mr。Sabinraisedhiseyebrows。Hesignaledtothehead-waiter。
　　“Besogoodastocontinuetheserviceofmydinner，“heordered。
　　“Thechampagneisatrifletoochilled。Youcantakeitoutofthecooler。“
　　Themanbowed，withacurioussideglanceatHorser。
　　“Certainly，yourGrace！“
　　Horserwasalmostspeechlesswithanger。
　　“Areyougoingtoanswermyquestions？“hedemandedthickly。
　　“Ihavenoparticularobjectiontodoingso，“Mr。Sabinanswered，“butuntilyoucansitupandcomposeyourselflikeanordinaryindividual，Ideclinetoenterintoanyconversationwithyouatall。“
　　AgainMr。Horserraisedhisvoice，andtheglareinhiseyeswasliketheglareofawildbeast。
　　“DoyouknowwhoIam？“heasked。“Doyouknowwhoyou’retalkingto？“
　　Mr。Sabinlookedathimcoolly，andfingeredhiswineglass。
　　“Well，“hesaid，“I’veashockingmemoryfornames，butyoursis-Mr。Horser，isn’tit？Ihearditforthefirsttimethismorning，andmymemorywillgenerallycarrymethroughfour-and-twentyhours。“
　　Therewasamoment’ssilence。Horserwasnofool。Heacceptedhisdefeatanddroppedthebully。
　　“You’reastrangerinthiscity，Mr。Sabin，andIguessyouaren’taltogetheracquaintedwithourwaysyet，“hesaid。“ButIwantyoutounderstandthis。Thereportwhichisinyourpockethasgottobereturnedtome。IfI’dknownwhatIwasmeddlingwithIwouldn’thavetouchedyourbusinessforahundredthousanddollars。It’sgottobereturnedtome，Isay！“herepeatedinamorethreateningtone。
　　Mr。Sabinhelpedhimselftofish，andmadeacarefulexaminationofthesauce。
　　“Afterall，“hesaidmeditatively，“IamnotsurethatIwaswiseininsistinguponasaucepiquante。Ibegyourpardon，Mr。Horser。
　　Pleasedonotthinkmeinattentive，butIamveryhungry。So，I
　　believe，ismyfriend，Mr。Skinner。Willyounotjoinus-orperhapsyouhavealreadydined？“
　　TherewasanuglyflushinMr。Horser’scheeks，buthestruggledtokeephiscomposure。
　　“Willyougivemebackthatreport？“
　　“WhenIhavereadit，withpleasure，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Before，no。“
　　Mr。Horserswallowedanexceedinglyviciousoath。Hestruckthetablelightlywithhisforefinger。
　　“Lookhere，“hesaid。“Ifyou’dlivedinNewYorkacoupleofyears，evenacoupleofmonths，youwouldn’ttalklikethat。ItellyouthatIholdthegovernmentofthiscityinmyrighthand。I
　　don’twanttobeunpleasant，butifthatpaperisnotinmyhandsbythetimeyouleavethistableIshallhaveyouarrestedasyouleavethisroom，andthepaperstakenfromyou。“
　　“Dearme，“Mr。Sabinsaid，“thisisserious。OnwhatchargemayI
　　askshouldIbeexposedtothisinconvenience？“
　　“Chargebedamned！“Mr。Horseranswered。“Thepolicedon’twantparticularsfromme。WhenIsaydoathingtheydoit。Theyknowthatiftheydeclineditwouldbetheirlastdayontheforce。“
　　Mr。Sabinfilledhisglassandleanedbackinhischair。
　　“This，“heremarked，“isinteresting。Iamalwaysgladtohavetheopportunityofgaininganinsightintothecustomsofdifferentcountries。IhadanideathatAmericawasacountryremarkablefortheamountoflibertyenjoyedbyitsinhabitants。Yourproposedcourseofactionseemsscarcelyinkeepingwiththis。“
　　“Whatareyougoingtodo？Come，I’vegottohaveananswer。“
　　“Idon’tquiteunderstand，“Mr。Sabinremarked，withapuzzledlook，“whatyourofficialpositionisinconnectionwiththepolice。“
　　Mr。Horser’sfacewasaveryuglysight。“Oh，cursemyofficialposition，“heexclaimedthickly。“IfyouwantproofofwhatIsayyoushallhaveitinlessthanfiveminutes。Skinner，beoffandfetchacoupleofconstables。“
　　“Ireallymustprotest，“Mr。Sabinsaid。“Mr。Skinnerismyguest，andIwillnothavehimtreatedinthisfashion，justastheterrapiniscomingin，too。Sitdown，Mr。Skinner，sitdown。I
　　willsettlethismatterwithyouinmyroom，Mr。Horser，afterI
　　havedined。Iwillnotevendiscussitbefore。“
　　Mr。Horseropenedhismouthtwice，andcloseditagain。Heknewthathisopponentwassimplyplayingtogaintime，but，afterall，heheldthetrumpcard。Hecouldaffordtowait。Heturnedtoawaiterandorderedacigar。Mr。SabinandMr。Skinnercontinuedtheirdinner。
　　Conversationwasalittledifficult，thoughMr。Sabinshowednosignsofanimpairedappetite。Skinnerwaswhitewithfear，andglancedeverynowandthennervouslyathischief。Mr。Horsersmokedwithoutceasing，andmaintainedanominoussilence。Mr。
　　Sabinatlast，withasigh，rose，andlightingacigarette，tookhisstickfromthewaiterandpreparedtoleave。
　　“Ifear，Mr。Horser，“heremarked，“thatyourpresencehasscarcelycontributedtothecheerfulnessofourrepast。Mr。Skinner，amI
　　tobefavouredwithyourcompanyalsoupstairs？“
　　Horserclutchedthatgentleman’sarmandwhisperedafewwordsinhisear。
　　“Mr。Skinner，“hesaid，“willjoinuspresently。Whatisyournumber？“
　　“336，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Youwillexcusemysomewhatslowprogress。“
　　Theycrossedthehallandenteredtheelevator。Mr。Horser’sfacebegantoclear。InamomentortwotheywouldbeinMr。Sabin’ssitting-room-alone。Heregardedwithsatisfactiontheother’sslim，delicatefigureandthelimpwithwhichhemoved。Hefeltthatthedangerwasalreadyover。
　　BUT，afterall，thingsdidnotexactlyturnoutasMr。Horserhadimagined。Thesightoftheemptyroomandthecloseddoorweresatisfactoryenough，andhedidnothesitateforamoment。
　　“Lookhere，sir，“hesaid，“youandIaregoingtosettlethismatterquick。WhateveryoupaidSkinneryoucanhavebackagain。
　　ButI’mgoingtohavethatreport。“
　　Hetookaquickstepforwardwithupliftedhand-andlookedintotheshiningmuzzleofatinyrevolver。BehinditMr。Sabin’sface，nolongerpleasantandcourteous，hadtakentoitselfsomeverygrimlines。
　　“Iamaweakman，Mr。Horser，butIamneverwithoutthemeansofself-defence，“Mr。Sabinsaidinastill，coldtone。“Besogoodastositdowninthateasy-chair。“
　　Mr。Horserhesitated。Foronemomenthestoodasthoughabouttocarryouthisfirstintention。Hestoodglaringathisopponent，hisfacecontractedintoasnarl，hiswholeappearancehideous，almostbestial。Mr。Sabinsmileduponhimcontemptuously-themaddening，compellingsmileofthebornaristocrat。
　　“Sitdown！“
　　Mr。Horsersatdown，whereuponMr。Sabinfollowedsuit。
　　“Nowwhathaveyoutosaytome？“Mr。Sabinaskedquietly。
　　“Iwantthatreport，“wasthedoggedanswer。
　　“Youwillnothaveit，“Mr。Sabinanswered。“Youcantakethatforgranted。Youshallnottakeitfrommebyforce，andIwillseethatyoudonotcharmitoutofmypocketbyothermeans。Theinformationwhichitcontainsisoftheutmostpossibleimportancetome。Ihaveboughtitandpaidforit，andIshalluseit。“
　　Mr。Horsermoistenedhisdrylips。
　　“Iwillgiveyou，“hesaid，“twentythousanddollarsforitsreturn。“
　　Mr。Sabinlaughedsoftly。
　　“Youbidhigh，“hesaid。“Ibegintosuspectthatourfriendsontheothersideofthewaterhavebeenmorethanordinarilykindtoyou。“
　　“Iwillgiveyou-fortythousanddollars。“
　　Mr。Sabinraisedhiseyebrows。
　　“Somuch？Afterall，thatsoundsmorelikefearthananything。
　　Youcannothopetomakeaprofitabledealoutofthat。Dearme！
　　ItseemsonlyafewminutesagothatIheardyourinterestingfriend，Mr。Skinner，shakewithlaughteratthementionofsuchathingasasecretsociety。“
　　“Skinnerisablastedfool，“Horserexclaimedfiercely。“Listenhere，Mr。Sabin。Youcanreadthatreportifyoumust，but，asI’malivingmanyou’llnotstirfromNewYorkifyoudo。I’llmakeyourlifeahellforyou。Don’tyouunderstandthatnoonebutabornfoolwoulddaretoquarrelwithmeinthiscity？I
　　holdtheprisonkeys，thepolicearemine。Ishallmakemyowncharge，whateverIchoose，andtheyshallproveitforme。“
　　Mr。Sabinshookhishead。