English Eddie wasted no time in getting to the point.
“Now, look here,” he said, rapidly. “I've got the greatest game in the world.... Two years ago, a set of Gothic tapestries, worth three hundred thousand dollars and a set of Fragonard panels, worth nearly as much more, were plucked from a chateau in France and smuggled into this country.”
“I have never heard of that,” Mary said, with some interest.
“No,” Griggs replied. “You naturally wouldn't, for the simple reason that it's been kept on the dead quiet.”
“Are them things really worth that much?” Garson exclaimed.
“Sometimes more,” Mary answered. “Morgan has a set of Gothic tapestries worth half a million dollars.”
Garson uttered an ejaculation of disgust.
“He pays half a million dollars for a set of rugs!” There was a note of fiercest bitterness come into his voice as he sarcastically concluded: “And they wonder at crime!”
“About a month ago, the things I was telling you of were hung in the library of a millionaire in this city.” He hitched his chair a little closer to the desk, and leaned forward, lowering his voice almost to a whisper as he stated his plan.
“Let's go after them. They were smuggled, mind you, and no matter what happens, he can't squeal. What do you say?”
“It's up to her,” he said. Griggs regarded Mary eagerly, as she sat with eyes downcast. Then, after a little interval had elapsed in silence, he spoke interrogatively:
Mary shook her head decisively. “It's out of our line,” she declared.
Griggs would have argued the matter. “I don't see any easier way to get half a million,” he said aggressively.
“If it were fifty millions, it would make no difference. It's against the law.”
“Oh, I know all that, of course,” Griggs returned impatiently. “But if you can----”
Mary interrupted him in a tone of finality.
“My friends and I never do anything that's illegal! Thank you for coming to us, Mr. Griggs, but we can't go in, and there's an end of the matter.”
“But wait a minute,” English Eddie expostulated, “you see this chap, Gilder, is----”
Mary's manner changed from indifference to sudden keen interest.
“Yes. You know who he is,” Griggs answered; “the drygoods man.”
Garson in his turn showed a new excitement as he bent toward Mary.