DEFIANT DIANA

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8483, 18 July 1913, Page 2

DEFIANT DIANA

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

E. EVERETT-GREEN, Author of "A Queen of Hearts, A! 11 Lady of the Bungalow,” ‘ The Marriage of Marcia.” “Married in Haste,” etc., etc. (Copyright.) CHAPTER. XVI.—A HAN.

Tho sallow-faced money-lender was sitting up at last. His gleaming eyes were fixed upon the table whereon were spread the cherished contents of that precious pocket-book which he always carried next to his heart. Durham had been calmly sorting these papers, and arranging them before his eyes in a convenient order. Norman, on the other side of the hearth, watched tho scene with an intense curiosity. For some while the Jew had remained unconscious, then drowsy and somnolent. Durham had fetched a steaming basin from somewhere; and the soldier had given him strong soup dashed with spirit. It seemed, as Durham had opined from •tho first, as though the man’s skull had been tougher than Norman had dared to hope. His vitality was returning now by leaps and bounds, though the instinct of caution kept his lips sealed until the clouds should pass from his brain, and he should find himself in a position to comprehend tho strange scene in which ho found himself involved.

His small, shifty eyes travelled from one face to the other. Norman’s ho knew; but the strong dark face of Durham was strange to him. Tho room was dim save for firelight and the circle of light upon the table where tho papers lay spread; but it sufficiently illumined the features of the man seated side-face to tho money-lender, and upon those features his eyes fastened with a mingling of anxiety, wrath and defiance, which suddenly found a vent in spluttering speech.

“What are you doing with my property, sir? Those papers are mine. Do you know that in what you are daring now to do you are putting yourself beneath the ban of the law?”

His voice was strongly nasal, and his face twitched as he spoke. Durham calmly lifted his eyes and took stock of him. His hands were firmly laid across certain piles of papers. “Just so. The arm of the law is long, and can be heavy. There is a good deal of evidence upon this table hero which would give some rather pretty occupation for a prosecuting counsel.” The man’s face turned livid. He looked as though he would have liked to fly at the speaker, but his limbs were not yet under his full control.

“ I have been assaulted and robbed. The law will protect me. I will have back my property, and you shall see what the law will say to those who dare to set it at defiance.”

Durham drummed with his fingers upon tho table. His searchlight gaze fastened itself upon the face of the speaker, whose gaze wavered and foil before the keen blue fires in those eyes.

“ Yes, you have been, as you say, assaulted and robbed. In other words, a gentleman and a soldier administered a well-deserved kick to a dirty scoundrel who was threatening him, and who was not man enough to stand against it, but pitched just where his head stood a good chance of being broken open. No such just punishment, however, hefel him. He will live to carry on his dirty business, of which hero lie so many evidences.” “Your words, sir, are actionable. X refuse to be insulted like this. I demand back my papers. I will expose the whole transaction.” “Oh, no, you will not. You know a groat deal better than that. You will not care for the light of publicity upon your very pretty methods of doing business. You will be very glad to take what you can get, and sign a release for all the debts which Captain Hurst has incurred. And if you think that either ho or his friends or any legal oracle which you like to invoke, will give you interest at the rate of a hundred and fifty per cent., you Bro very much mistaken. Captain Hurst is ready and able to repay you al] that he borrowed, with a reasonable interest for tho risk you incurred. Beyond that he will do nothing, and he will be well backed in his refusal You are quite at liberty to take this offer or to leave it. If you refuse, it will not be repeated; and wo shall ourselves bring tho matter into court if there is any more trouble, and see what his Majesty’s judges will say in the matter. It is an excellent thing from time to time, to throw the light of publicity upon this kind of transaction. I can trace in these papers hero beneath my hands something very like attempts at blackmail. I have taken the names and addresses of persons other than my friend here, over whom you seem to bo exercising threatening powers. In case of legal proceedings, they will make valuable witnesses. In any case I may communicate with them, and give them the benefit of my advice. Probably they are quite young and inexperienced men, who have got into the toils of tho spider’s web without the least notion of the peril they are in. Well, sometimes tables can be turned. I think, my good friend, that you will find it expedient to moderate your demands and draw in your horns.” Tho man was shaking now from head to foot. Had ho been in his normal condition he might perhaps have tried still to brazen the matter out; hut, shaken by his fall, a trifle dazed and uncertain as to where ho was, and who it was confronting him, his nerves deserted him. and his power of bluff ebbed away. Looking like an enraged and defeated Shylock, he muttered a savage question. “What will you give me. then, if I let Captain Hurst off P” “There is no question of letting off, unless we let you off after the evidence before our eyes of your methods of transacting business. There is paper here which shows that at different times you have lent him money to the amount of just over a couple of hundred pounds. I mean that he still owes a couple of hundred after the payments he has already made. That couple of hundred, with an additional fifty for interest, I am ready on his behalf to hand over to you in return for a full quittance of all and every kind of claim, to he signed by you here in my presence, and left here with all this paper bearing upon his case. If you refuse this offer, then you may whistle for your money. I shall take certified copies of all these papers before returning them to yon, and consult the highest legal authorities in tho land as to the best method

of dealing with a scoundrel like you. I am a rich man, and can the luxury of a little campaign of this kind. In some respects 1 should even prefer to taxe this course. But as Captain Hurst is my irieuu, and wo do not enjoy exposing the follies of our friends in having dealings with carrion like you, 1 offer you this alternative. It is for you to say which method you prefer. Ido not ca>o two straws how it goes. If you prefer legal proceedings by all means let us havo them.”

•Give me the money, and I will

Durham rose and crossed tho room towards the safe, with a glance at Norman bidding him guard the table. He brought out a cash-box, and the money-lender’s eyes gleamed as he saw it. Ho rose to his feet, still somewhat shaken and tottery, but ho had his wits about him still.

“Make it three hundred, and I’ll sign.” ■‘Two-fifty,” was Durham’s curt response, “and every time you suggest an addition X knock off ten. Here are all Captahn Hurst’s papers.” Durham turned his eyes upon the younger man and said, “Book them through, and sou that there is nothing missing that has your signature.” Norman produced a pockethook, and carefully made his own examination.

“It’s all right,” he said, “those aro all he holds.”

Durham held them in his left hand, whilst with his right he wrote rapidly, in clear, square caligraphy, certain stipulations of his own. Tins paper he pushed across to Shylock, at the same time showing him the five fiftypound notes which he had taken from tho safe.

“Sign, and you’ll have them,” was his enjoinder. With a livid face and slinking hand tho Jew signed, and instantly Norman’s own papers were in tho young man’s hands, and Durham gave him laconic advice.

“Burn them, and don’t bo a fool again I” His own paper he placed carefully in tho cashbox, and gathering together all the rest of Shylock’s papers, he handed them back together with the pocketbook and the bank notes. “Now you can go,” ho said curtly. “Captain Hurst, will you open him that door upon the shrubbery walk? Then,” addressing the usurer, “if you follow your nose, you will find yourself in the carnage-drive, and can make your way out at your leisure.” Silently the man got his battered hat, and pulled it well down over his bandaged head. With the mien of a whipped puppy ho slunk out of the house, casting venomous glances to right and left, but not lifting his voice cither in recrimination or threat.

Norman banged the door after him and drew the bolt. Then he turned round very slowly, and walked back towards the fire. Durham was locking up the safe. In another moment he turned round himself, and the eyes of the pair met. It was Norman who spoke first. “I don’t know how to begin to thank you. I can’t think what you’ve done it for.”

The gleam in Durham’s eyes was answered by the twist at tho comers of the grim mouth. “I don’t quite know myself,” he answered. “You aro a young tool—he’s an old knave. Naturally one sides with tho former. Besides, it happened on my land, and I rather like a row.” “You’re a thundering good fellow, Duriiam—that’s what you are 1 I take back every word I’ve ever spoken about you." “Back-handed compliment that, my boyl” Norman laughed, and his colour rose a little. _ . “None of us will over misunderstand you again when I’ve told my (ale at home- ” But Durham lifted his hand, and his face took a more tense expression, his voice a carter ring.

‘‘Ah 1 now we come to the one condition I make. This matter is bo tween you and me. It is to go no farther.” , “Oh, hut I say, I don’t like that. My people ought to know what a bally ass I’ve been, and how you’ve pulled mo out of the mess. And I always tell my sister things. I would like—’ “I’m sorry to have to interfere with your pleasures. But in this case I must. I particularly desire that you will not tell Miss Diana a single word as to the occurrences of to-night.” (To be continued.)