On the evening of the third day after his latest interview with Doctor Jones, Keith threw down his paper with a cry of triumph. He had been scanning the columns of every issue with minute care, combing even the fine print for the auctioneer's advertisements. Here was what he wanted: top of column, third page, where every one would be sure to see it. The commissioners2 issued a signed statement, calling public attention to the details of their appointment, and warning that titles issued under sheriff's sale would be considered invalid3.
Keith read this with great attention, then drew his personal check against Palmer, Cook & Co. for eleven thousand dollars in favour of Doctor Jones. After some search he unearthed4 the little man in a downtown rookery, and from him obtained an assignment of his judgment5 against the city. Doctor Jones lost no time spreading the news, with the additional statement that he considered himself well out of the mess. He proceeded to order himself a long-coveted microscope, and was thenceforth lost to sight among low-tide rocks and marine6 algae7. The sheriff's sale came off at the advertised date. There were no bidders8; the commissioners' warning had had its effect. Keith himself bought in the lots for $5,000. This check about exhausted9 his resources. This, less costs, was, of course, paid back to himself as holder10 of the judgment. He had title, such as it was, for about what he had given Jones.
The bargain amused Keith's acquaintance hugely. Whenever he appeared he was deluged11 with chaff12, all of which he took, good naturedly. He was considered, in a moment of aberration13, to have bought an exceedingly doubtful equity14. Some thought, he must have a great deal of money, arguing that only the owner of a fat bank account could afford to take such fliers; others considered that he must have very little sense. Keith was apparently15 unperturbed. He at once began to look about him, considering the next step in his scheme. Since this investment had taken nearly every cent he had left, it was incumbent16 to raise more money at once.
He called on John Sherwood at the Empire. The gambler listened to him attentively17.
"I can't go into it," he said, when Keith had finished. A slight smile sketched18 itself on his strong, impassive face. "Not that I do not believe it will work; I think it will. But I have long made it a rule never to try to make money outside my own business--which is gambling19. I never adopt ordinary honest methods."
Keith's honest but legally trained mind failed to notice the quiet sarcasm20 of this. "Well, you know everybody in town. Where can I go?"
Sherwood thought a moment.
"I'll take you to Malcolm Neil," he said at last. It was Keith's turn to look thoughtful.
"All right," he said at last. "But not just right away. Give me a couple of days to get ready."
At the appointed time Sherwood escorted Keith to Malcolm Neil's office, introduced and left him. Keith took the proffered22 wooden chair, examining his man with the keenest attention.
Malcolm Neil, spite of his Scotch23 name, was a New Englander by birth. He had come out in '49, intending, like everybody else, to go to the mines, but had never gone farther than San Francisco. The new city offered ample scope for his talents, and he speedily became, not only rich, but a dominating personality among financial circles. He accomplished24 this by supplementing his natural ability with absolute singleness of purpose. It was known that his sole idea was the making of money. He was reputed to be hard, devoid25 of sentiment, unscrupulous. Naturally he enjoyed no popularity, but a vast respect. More people had heard of him, or felt his power, than had seen him; for he went little abroad, and preferred to work through agents. John Sherwood's service in obtaining for Keith a personal interview was a very real one. Neil's offices were small, dingy26, and ill lighted, at the back of one of the older and cheaper buildings. In the outer of the two were three bookkeepers; the other contained only a desk, two chairs, and an engraving27 of Daniel Webster addressing the Senate.
The man himself sat humped over slightly, his head thrust a little forward as though on the point of launching a truculent28 challenge. He was lean, gray, with bushy, overhanging brows, eyes with glinting metallic29 surfaces, had long sinewy30 hands, and a carved granite31 and inscrutable face, His few words of greeting revealed his voice as harsh, grating and domineering.
Keith, reading his man, wasted no time in preliminaries.
"Mr. Neil," he said, "I have a scheme by which a great deal of money can be made."
Neil grunted32. If it had not been for the fact that John Sherwood had introduced the maker33 of that speech, the interview would have here terminated. Malcolm Neil deeply distrusted men with schemes to make large sums of money. After a time, as Keith still waited, he growled34;
"What is it?"
"That," said Keith, "I shall not disclose until my standing35 in the matter is assured."
"What do you want?" growled Neil.
"Fifty per cent of the profits, if you go in."
"What do you want of me?"
"The capital."
"What is the scheme?"
"That I cannot tell you without some assurance of your good intention."
"What do you expect?" rasped Neil, "that I go into this blind?"
"I have prepared this paper," said Keith, handing him a document.
Neil glanced over the paper, then read it through slowly, with great care. When he had finished, he looked up at Keith, and there was a gleam of admiration36 in his frosty eye.
"You are a lawyer, I take it?" he surmised37.
Keith nodded. Neil went over the document for the third time.
"And a good one," added Neil. "This is watertight. It seems to be a contract agreeing to the division you suggest, _providing_ I go into the scheme. Very well, I'll sign this." He raised his voice. "Samuels, come in and witness this. Now, what is the scheme?"
Keith produced another paper.
"It is written out in detail here."
Neil reached for it, but Keith drew it back.
"One moment."
He turned it over on the blank side and wrote:
"This is in full the financial deal referred to in contract entered into this 7th of June, 1852, by Malcolm Neil and Milton Keith."
To this he appended his signature, then handed the pen to Neil.
"Sign," he requested.
Neil took the pen, but hesitated for some moments, his alert brain seeking some way out. Finally and grudgingly38 he signed. Then he leaned back in his chair, eying Keith with rather a wintry humour, though he made no comment. He reached again for the paper, but Keith put his hand on it.
"What more do you want?" inquired Neil in amused tones. His sense of humour had been touched on its only vulnerable point. He appreciated keen and subtle practice when he saw it,
"Not a thing," laughed Keith, "but a few words of explanation before you read that will make it more easily understood. Can you tell me how much water lots are worth?"
"Five to eight thousand for fifty varas."
"All right. I've bought ten fifty vara lots at sheriff's sale for five thousand dollars."
Neil's eye went cold.
"I've heard of that. Your title is no good. The reason you got them so cheaply was that nobody would bid because of that."
"That's for the courts to decide. The fact remains39 that I've a title, even though clouded, at $500 per lot."
"Proceed."
"Well, the commissioners are now advertising40 a sale of these same lots at auction1 on the 15th."
"So I see."
"Well," said Keith softly, "it strikes me that whoever buys these lots then is due for a heap of trouble."
"How so?"
"My title from the sheriff may be clouded, but it will be contested against the title given at that sale. The purchaser will have to defend himself up to the highest court. I can promise him a good fight."
Neil was now watching him steadily41,
"If that fact could be widely advertised," went on Keith slowly, "by way of a threat, so to speak, it strikes me it would be very apt to discourage bidding at the commissioners' sale. Nobody wants to buy a lot of lawsuits42, at any price. In absence of competition, a fifty vara lot might be sold for as low as--say $500."
Neil nodded, Keith leaned forward.
"Now here's my real idea: suppose _I_ buy in against this timid bidding. Suppose _I_ am the one who gets the commissioners' title for $500. Then I have both titles. And I am not likely to contest against myself. It's cost me $1,000 per lot--$500 at each sale--a profit of from $4,000 to $7,000 on each lot."
He leaned back. Malcolm Neil sat like a graven image, no expression showing on his flintlike face nor in his eyes. At length he chuckled43 harshly. Then, and not until then, Keith proceeded:
"But that isn't all. There's plenty more scrip afloat. If you can buy up as much of it as you can scrape together, I'll get judgment for it in the courts, and we can enlarge the deal until somebody smells a rat. We need several things."
"What?"
Neil made no reply, but the lines of his mouth straightened.
"Influence to push matters along in official circles."
"Matters will be pushed along."
"A newspaper."
"Leave that to me."
"Agents--not known to be connected with us."
Neil nodded.
"Working capital--but that is provided for in the contract. And"--he hesitated--"it will not harm to have these matters brought before a court whose judge is not unfriendly."
"I can arrange for that, Mr. Keith."
Keith arose.
"Then that is settled." He picked up the duplicate copy of the contract. "There remains only one other formality."
"Yes? What?"
"Your check for $12,000."
"What for?"
"For my expenses in this matter up to date."
"What!" cried Neil.
"The contract specifies45 that you are to furnish the working capital," Keith pointed21 out.
"But that means the future--"
"It doesn't say so."
Neil paused a moment.
"This contract would not hold in law, and you know it," he asserted boldly. "It would be held to be an illegal conspiracy46."
"I would be pleased to have you point out the illegality in court," said Keith coldly, his manner as frosty as Neil's. "And if conspiracy exists, your name is affixed47 to it."
Neil pondered this point a moment, then drew his checkbook toward him with a grim little smile.
"Young man, you win," said he.
Keith thawed48 to sunniness at once.
"Oh, we'll work together all right, once we understand each other," he laughed. "Send your man out after scrip. Let him report to me."
Neil arose rather stiffly, and extended his hand.
"All right, all right!" he muttered, as though impatient. "Keep In touch. Good-day. Good-day."
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auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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commissioners
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| n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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unearthed
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| 出土的（考古） | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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algae
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| n.水藻，海藻 | |
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bidders
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| n.出价者，投标人( bidder的名词复数 ) | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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deluged
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| v.使淹没( deluge的过去式和过去分词 )；淹没；被洪水般涌来的事物所淹没；穷于应付 | |
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chaff
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| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
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aberration
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| n.离开正路，脱离常规，色差 | |
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equity
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| n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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incumbent
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| adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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sketched
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| v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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engraving
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| n.版画；雕刻（作品）；雕刻艺术；镌版术v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的现在分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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truculent
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| adj.野蛮的，粗野的 | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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sinewy
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| adj.多腱的，强壮有力的 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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grudgingly
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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lawsuits
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| n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 ) | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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specifies
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| v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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thawed
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| 解冻 | |
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