Joey settled back in his chair, crossed his knees comfortably, screwed
his face to round-eyed innocence, and gave a dainty caress to the thin
silky line of black on his upper lip.

"You may go on, Oscar," he drawled patronizingly.

After another angry turn, Mitchell resumed with forced composure:

"Zurich is now a fixture in Cobre, Arizona, where my Cousin Stanley
lives. I had a letter from him a week ago and he tells me--this is in
strict confidence, mind you--that poor Stanley is in jail."

Joey interrupted him by a gentle waving of a deprecatory hand.

"Save your breath, Oscar dear, and pass on to the main proposition. Now
that we are partners, in manner of speaking, since your generous
concession of a few minutes past--about the thirds--I must be very
considerate of you."

As if to mark the new dignity, the junior partner dropped the crude and
boisterous phrases that had hitherto marked his converse. Mitchell
recognized the subtle significance of this change by an angry gesture.

"Since our interests are now one," continued the new member suavely,
"propriety seems to demand that I should tell you the Mitchell-Zurich
affair has no secrets from me. If young Stanley is in prison, it is
because you put him there!"

"What!"