Before the day's decline the lawyer had asked Mr. Fox to take no
further steps, stating vaguely that Mr. Allen would look into the
matter, and would not be unreasonable.

A sardonic grin gave a momentary lurid hue to Mr. Fox's sallow face.
Knowing the game to be in his own hands, he could quietly bide his
time; so, assuming a tone of much moderation and dignity, he replied,
he had no wish to be hard, and could be reasonable also. "But," added
he, in a meaning tone, "there must be no double work in this matter.
Mr. Allen must see what I am worth to him--nothing could be plainer.
His best policy now is to act promptly and liberally toward me, for I
pledge you my word that if I see any disposition to evade my
requirements I will blow out the bottom of everything," and a snaky
glitter in his small black eyes showed how remorselessly he could
scuttle the ship bearing Mr. Allen's fortunes.

A speedy investigation showed Mr. Fox's fatal power, and Mr. Allen's
partners were for paying him off, but when they found that he exacted
an interest in the business that quite threw them into the background,
they were indignant and inclined to fight it out. Mr. Allen could not
tell them that he was in no condition to fight. If his financial
status had been the same as some weeks previously, he would rather
have lost the million than have listened one moment to Mr. Fox's
repulsive conditions, but now to risk litigation and commercial
reputation on one hand, and total ruin on the other, was an abyss from
which he shrank back appalled.

His only resource was to temporize, both with his partners and Mr.
Fox, and so gain time, hoping that the Wall Street scheme, that had
caused so much evil, might also cure it. Of course he could not tell