They've lost no time; I'll say that for them--not like the Fraud," said he.

"But mind you, Loudon, that's not half of it.

The cream of the idea's here: we know our man's sick; well, a copy of that has been mailed to every hospital, every doctor, and every drug-store in San Francisco." Of course, from the nature of our business, Pinkerton could do a thing of the kind at a figure extremely reduced; for all that, I was appalled at the extravagance, and said so.
"What matter a few dollars now ?" he replied sadly.

"It's in three months that the pull comes, Loudon." We walked on again in silence, not without a shiver.

Even at the Poodle Dog, we took our food with small appetite and less speech; and it was not until he was warmed with a third glass of champagne that Pinkerton cleared his throat and looked upon me with a deprecating eye.
"Loudon," said he, "there was a subject you didn't wish to be referred to.