"Who's he?"

"Who's he?" The big man started in astonishment. "Sufferin' catamounts!
Who is he?" He laughed in a disagreeable manner. "Well, son, you'll
find out, right enough!"

"The way you talk, he don't sound none too good."

Hal Stern grew anxious. "The way I talk? Have I said anything agin' him?
Not a word! He's--he's--well, there ain't ever been trouble between us
and there never ain't going to be." He flushed and looked steadily at
Donnegan. "Maybe he sent you to talk to me?" he asked coldly.

But Donnegan's eyes took on a childish wideness.

"Why, I never seen him," he declared. Hall Stern allowed the muscles of
his face to relax. "All right," he said, "they's no harm done. But Lord
Nick is a name that ain't handled none too free in these here parts.
Remember that!"

"But how," pondered Donnegan, "can I be working for Lord Nick when I
sign up to work under Jack Landis?"

"I'll tell you how. Nick and Lebrun work together. Split profits. And
Nelly Lebrun works Landis for his dust. So the stuff goes in a
circle--Landis to Nelly to Lebrun to Nick. That clear?"

"I don't quite see it," murmured Donnegan.

"I didn't think you would," declared the other, and snorted his disgust.