It is astonishing how well a secret can be kept, when the possessors of the secret are handled with the proper mixture of firmness and persuasion.

Racksole managed this very neatly.

It was a complicated job, and his success in it rather pleased him.
At the same time he was conscious of being temporarily worsted by an unknown group of schemers, in which he felt convinced that Jules was an important item.

He could scarcely look Nella in the eyes.

The girl had evidently expected him to unmask this conspiracy at once, with a single stroke of the millionaire's magic wand.