The Argosy — page 361: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

340 Ln the Dead of Night. idea, nor do I care to know. It was you who chose to accompany me. I did not thrust my company upon you.” Skeggs laughed a little maliciously. ‘I don’t think there’s much good, Mr. Kester St. George, in you and I beating about the bush. ’m a plain man of business, and that reminds me,”—interrupting him - self with a chuckle—“ that when I once used those very words to a client of mine, he retorted by saying, ‘ You are more than a plain man of business, Mr. Skeggs—you are an ugly one.’ I did my very utmost for that man, but he was hanged. Mais revenons. I am aplain man of business, and I intend to deal with this question in a business-like way. The simple point is: What is it worth your while to give me for the document I have buttoned up here?” tapping his chest with his left hand as he spoke. ““T am at aloss to know to what document you refer,” said Mr. St. George, coldly. “‘ A very few words will tell you the contents of it, though, if I am rightly informed, you can give a pretty good guess already as to what they are likely to be. In-this document it is asserted that you, sir, have no right to the name by which the world has known you for so long a time—that you have no nght to the position you occupy, to the property you claim as yours. That you are, in fact, none other than the son of Mother Mim herself—of the woman who lies dead in yonder hut.” Kester drew in his breath with something like a sigh. It was as he had feared. Mother Mim had told everything, and, of all people in the world, to the wretch now walking by his side. He braced his nerves for the coming encounter. ‘I have heard something before to-day of the rigmarole of which you speak,” he said, haughtily; “ but I. need hardly tell you that the affair is nothing but a tissue of vilest lies irom beginning to end.” “T daresay it is,” said Skeggs, good humouredly. ‘“‘ But it may be rather difficult for you to prove that it 1s so.” ‘Tt will be still more difficult for yau to prove that it is not so.” “Oh! I am quite aware of all the difficulties both for and against-— no man more so. You have got_possession, and a hundred other points in your favour. Still, with what evidence I have already, and what evidence I can get elsewhere, I should be able to make out a strong case—a very strong case against you in a court of justice.” “Evidence elsewhere!” said Kester, disdainfully. “ There is no such thing, unless.you are clever enough to make the dead speak.” ‘yen that has been done before now,” said Skeggs, quietly. “ But in this case we have no need to go to the churchyard to collect our evidence. I have a living, breathing witness whom I can lay my hands on at a day’s notice.” “You lie,” said Kester, emphatically. ecomiebooks.co