“I entered into a certain agreement with Melun on certain terms,” he said. “Is it news to you that the price I offered for his services and for the services of yourselves was a hundred thousand pounds?”
“Good Heavens!” Crow exclaimed, and then sat muttering to himself.
The rest of the men were too astonished to speak.
“Pardon me,” said Westerham, “I am no liar, as I am quite prepared to prove to you. Now I have every intention, provided that Melun holds good to his promise, of handing him over that sum. I simply tell you this in order that you may see to it that you get your proper shares.”
“Pardon me,” said Westerham, “but you really are mistaken.”
He put his hand into his breast and pulled out a pocket-book.
“Here,” he said, “I have the sum of ten thousand pounds in notes.”
Drawing them out, he flung them carelessly on the table.
So utterly were the men lost in amazement that they could do nothing but stare in silence at the notes.
“Now, I may as well be quite frank,” Westerham went on, “and tell you that I have not the slightest intention of handing those notes over to you. Nor, for that matter, do I intend having them stolen.
“You might take them from me, but you would merely have to destroy them, for I have taken the precaution of informing the bank that all these notes have been lost. I can well afford to let such a sum as this lie idle for a time, and the numbers were posted this afternoon.”
“Now,” Westerham continued as evenly as ever, “I hope that this, to some extent, proves that what I say is true.”
“Well,” said Westerham, looking about him, “I will take it for granted that you are prepared to believe me. So far so good.”
“I have now to tell you that Captain Melun is at the present moment engaged in a deal of the most stupendous proportions. He has mentioned to me that the sum he hopes to net is over a quarter of a million.”
He paused and looked round at the men again. They continued to stare at him open-mouthed, remaining entirely silent. They were beyond all speech.
Glancing at Crow, Westerham saw with satisfaction that he was evidently much amazed and beginning to look uneasy.
“Well, gentlemen,” Westerham continued, “it is unnecessary for me to mention the names of the people who are assisting Captain Melun in this enterprise. I really believe that they don't even know what the enterprise is. But there is an exception. One of them does know, because the business may involve dirtier work than Melun may care to do with his own hands.”