"And you mean he'll squeeze a dollar till the eagle screams-don't you ?" She sat silent, pleating her lace with steady fingers.
"Well, that's all right, too," laughed Mortimer easily; "let the Audubon Society worry over the eagle.

It's a perfectly plain business proposition; we can do for him in a couple of winters what he can't do for himself in ten.

Figure it out for yourself, Leila," he said, waving a mottled fat hand at her.
"I--have," she said under her breath.
"Then, is it settled?
"Settled--how ?" "That we form ourselves into a benevolent society of two in behalf of Plank ?" "I--I don't want to, Roy," she said slowly.
"Why not ?" She did not say why not, seated there nervously pleating the fragile stuff clinging to her knee.
"Why not ?" he repeated menacingly.

Her unexpectedly quiescent attitude had emboldened him to a bullying tone--something he had not lately ventured on.
She raised her eyes to his: "I--rather like him," she said quietly.
"Then, by God! he'll pay for that!" he burst out, mask off, every inflamed feature shockingly congested.
"Roy! You dare not--" "I tell you I--" "You dare not!" The palpitating silence lengthened; slowly the blood left the swollen veins.

Heavy pendulous lip hanging, he stared at her from distended eyes, realising that he had forgotten himself.