He suddenly looked Manne steadily in the eyes:
“Do you know what it means to write cheques like that?” he asked. His tone was so sharp that poor Manne was startled.
“Prison, old man, if you don’t find the five thousand by the time the banks open. Can you do it?”
“I’ll try to get you the money, but on one condition—that you won’t let Levy have Kolsnäs.”
That was a condition that the astounded Manne agreed to with all his heart.
“No, because I think I know of a better buyer, if you really can’t keep the estate. That’s agreed then. You take your ride and confess to ‘the Glove’ and I will go and hunt for the money. We meet outside the bank at half past nine. Good-bye!”
Stellan called a cab and drove straight to Selambshof.
Peter the Boss was of course impossible at Laura’s parties. But there was all the same a secret channel of communication between her drawing room and Selambshof. Peter, too, had his interests in society.
Stellan opened a window, climbed in and sat down on the edge of his brother’s bed. He looked like a fat hog when he was asleep. On the night table lay an old silver watch, a cash book and a half-finished cigar. Peter jumped up and rubbed his eyes:
“Business. Kolsnäs is ripe. What will you give me if I get it for you for five hundred thousand?”
Peter was not quite awake yet, but he could always manage to appear indifferent at first.
“Damn Kolsnäs,” he rattled, lighting the half-smoked cigar.
Stellan opened both windows. He also looked supercilious and indifferent. From his manner you would have thought he was the master, rolling in money, and Peter the servant.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” he cut in. “You know you want Kolsnäs like dear life.”
Peter felt a mixture of fear and secret admiration for his brother’s brilliancy and his careless way of handling money. Stellan was, as a matter of fact, much more difficult to trick than he had believed. Peter held nearly all Stellan’s shares in Selambshof as security, but he didn’t own them and there was a damned big difference between the two things. But now this fine gentleman must surely be in a difficult dilemma as he came so early in the morning.
“You seem to imagine that I lie dreaming about Kolsnäs since you come whilst I am still in bed,” ventured Peter cunningly.