Chapter XVI: In Which Mr. Pasquett Quite Sees the Point

John Pasquett, under pressure, agreed to dine with Lord Ealing in Berkeley Square on the night of his arrival, putting off his self-imposed mission till the following day. From Scotland Yard, Lord Ealing had driven him to Mr. Franklin's office, where he had left him, after speaking a few private words in the lawyer's ear, before Pasquett came into the room. When Lord Ealing had gone, Franklin gave his visitor a full account of the terms of Hugh Radlett's will. Pasquett seemed greatly moved. "I knew," he said, "Hugh had left me something, and I knew about that power of attorney. But, of course, I always thought most of the money would go to his relatives in America. Poor Hugh! He was a real friend. It makes one feel a bit rotten, though, cutting his daughter out of the money. And I shall only lose it. Money and I never did stay long together.... I suppose you've communicated with his lawyer in New York," he added, after a pause.

"I cabled on the day of the crime," said Mr. Franklin. "And I had a cable back telling me to take all necessary steps. Since then, a letter has come--in fact, to-day--telling me how matters stand. You are a fortunate man, Mr. Pasquett. Mr. Radlett's fortune amounts to about----"

"Never mind that just yet. What about the daughter? How is she off?"

"Very well indeed, I think. She got what was left of her mother's ten million dollars when Mrs. Treves--Mrs. Radlett that was--died. And she gets fifty thousand more under the will. Though Mr. Radlett meant to cut that out, if he had lived."

"Still, I feel I'm doing her out of a lot she ought to have. I ought to do something for her."

"In fact, Mr. Pasquett, you are not doing her out of a penny. Under Mr. Radlett's old will, she would have got nothing at all. I understand that the whole estate would have gone to charity."

"I suppose I ought to feel as bad about it that way. But I don't, somehow. Doing down a charity never seems as bad as doing down some one real, does it?"

"Most men would jump at your luck and ask no questions."

Pasquett sighed. "Well, at least it means I can do something big at last. I've been just pottering round with small things all my life so far. And it means I need spare nothing to bring Hugh's murderer to justice."

He then told Franklin of the scheme he had devised for tracking Rosenbaum. The lawyer did his best to dissuade him, but Pasquett was set upon it. "I start off to-morrow," he said. "I only hope the luck's with me."

Lord Ealing's dinner was a very quiet little affair. Only the three chief directors of the Anglo-Asiatic were present to meet Pasquett. Lord Ealing would not have asked even them, but he had feared the effect on their minds of seeming to keep Pasquett to himself. Business was a forbidden subject. Lord Ealing had positively forbidden Sir James Vanzetti so much as to mention it, though the financier, who became more gloomy every day as the shares of the Corporation dropped lower and lower, had given only a most reluctant promise. "The man must be an absolute fool," he said. "Why can't he talk business? A lot of damned sentimental nonsense, I call it. Radlett's dead, ain't he? What good'll it do him to go mooning round after his body? What I say is business is business, and if a chap can't attend to business when he's wanted, then I've no use for him."

Lord Ealing had stemmed the torrent by remarking that he rather thought they had a very distinct use for Mr. Pasquett, whatever sort of man he was.

"Oh, damn it all, Ealing. Have it your own way," Vanzetti had answered. "I'll talk about the blasted weather."

It was not, Lord Ealing felt, altogether a successful little party. He laid himself out to be charming to John Pasquett, and he flattered himself he could be very charming when he chose. And Pasquett showed himself a delightful companion, with a fund of good stories about his Russian experiences, and yet without the raconteur's frequent vice of monopolising the conversation. Pasquett knew how to listen as well as to talk. He was properly deferential to Lord Ealing when he spoke of politics and of the great names of British political life. And Lord Ealing actually enjoyed Pasquett's stories, told with that pleasant accent--French, yet not French--which added to the attraction of everything he said. He and John Pasquett, he was sure, would have no difficulty in coming to an excellent understanding.

Mr. Benjamin, too, was on his best behaviour, saying comparatively little, and keeping his unfortunate tendency to relapse into guttural German exclamations well in check. The trouble was with Vanzetti. The fellow had obviously been drinking when he arrived, and he drank more during dinner. Vanzetti was loud-voiced and truculent at all times; when he had dined too well he became quarrelsome and roared at the top of his voice. Despite his promise, he tried several times to introduce the subject of the concession, and Lord Ealing had to check him firmly. But at length he put Pasquett a direct question. "Are you coming in with us, Pasquett?" he said. "That's what I want to know. I'm sick of all this beating about the bush."

Pasquett was not put out. He simply smiled at Vanzetti, and said there would be plenty of chances of talking about that later on. "But a fellow wants to know where he is, you know," Vanzetti insisted. "At present, enjoying this very excellent dinner of Lord Ealing's," Pasquett answered, and rapidly changed the subject. Lord Ealing felt that, though Pasquett had successfully put Vanzetti off, one of his fellow-directors, at least, was making no favourable impression. And, after his setback, Vanzetti simply sulked the rest of the evening, though Pasquett was obviously doing his best to be friendly.

The following morning Pasquett was to set out on his self-imposed task of hunting down the murderer of his friend. Once he had gone, heaven alone knew how long it would be before he came back, or there was another chance of talking business with him. And, by the time he came back, it might be, from the standpoint of the Anglo-Asiatic, too late to be of any use. The shares of the Corporation were still dropping, and creditors became more and more pressing as each day brought fresh rumours of impending collapse. Under certain conditions, that might suit Lord Ealing excellently, but he must somehow make sure that Pasquett meant to come in. By hook or by crook, Pasquett must be persuaded to talk business. Lord Ealing determined to throw himself frankly on the mercy of his guest. He contrived, therefore, to get Vanzetti and Benjamin out of the house fairly early, and to make Pasquett stay behind for a further talk before returning to his hotel.

"I am going to be quite frank with you, Mr. Pasquett," he said. "You can do me a great favour without in any way prejudicing your search for poor Radlett's murderer. It is of vital importance that we should know where we stand about this concession.... No, please let me finish ... please. Rumours have got about that the affair is off, and these rumours are prejudicially affecting our position in the City. Now, I take it you mean to go on with the thing, as soon as the more pressing affair is cleared up. If I'm right, I want to ask you to recognise our position. Will you let me talk business to you for a few minutes? I won't mention the matter again after this till you tell me I may. Now, I ask you very specially. It can't interfere with what you want to do." Lord Ealing smiled his most winning smile.

"If you put it like that, of course I will. Go ahead. It only seemed wrong, somehow, to be talking business with poor Hugh----"

"I know. Now, Mr. Pasquett, I want you just to assure me privately that you do mean to come in. Subject, of course, to reasonable terms. Just tell me in confidence, and I will promise not to say a word about it to a single soul until you give me leave. It is just in order to relieve my mind, you know. Surely Mr. Radlett would have wished you to go in with us?"

"You want me to give you a sort of pledge, in confidence?"

"If you will do that, it will ease my mind a great deal. And there is no need for you to mention the matter again until this dreadful affair is cleared up."

"Right. I'll do that. Here's my hand on it. Anything else?"

"Well, of course, we shall have to send some one out to Russia to make sure it's all right, both at Moscow and on the Yenisei. Will you be going out yourself to get things started, or sending some one?"

"Oh, I reckon I shall see the thing through myself. You see, I know mining, and I know the Russians."

"You will not object if I report to my Board that I am sending out experts with you to go into the whole position on the spot. I thought of Mr. Alison, who is our best mining engineer, and my nephew, Arthur Wharton. You must meet him, by the way. He's abroad at present."

"Of course, I shan't go till this business is settled--about Hugh, I mean."

"Of course not. I only want to get the thing clear in our own minds. Then you'll come in, on the terms mentioned in our correspondence with Radlett?"

"Certainly I will."

"Thank you, Mr. Pasquett. I would not have asked you unless it had been really urgent. I suppose you are in touch with Mr. Radlett's lawyer in New York."

"Oh, I just told Franklin to do what was necessary, and not bother me at present."

"These operations will need a lot of money. We must see about raising our share. What do you say to a couple of million--a million from us and the same from you?"

"Really, Lord Ealing, I don't feel like talking in terms of the money just now. I haven't quite given up hope that Hugh may be alive, and it would be his money, you see."

"Very well. I dare say that can wait a week or two. But I mentioned that amount as approximately what will be wanted."

"Yes, that'll be all right. Hugh said it would mean at least a couple of million--probably more. You may take that as agreed. If he doesn't--turn up, I'll go into the whole thing with you as soon as I can."

"It is really very good of you, Mr. Pasquett, to relieve my anxiety. It is understood, is it not, that neither of us says a word of the matter to anybody till this trouble is over?"

"How about reassuring the City? Didn't you say you wanted to stop certain rumours?"

"Oh, we can face these for a week or so, now that my own mind is clear. If the shares do drop a bit, they'll come up again when we can say publicly that the thing is going on."

"If that suits you, it suits me," said Pasquett.

"Then it's agreed, between you and me," said Lord Ealing gravely. "So that's all right."

Pasquett promised further to keep Lord Ealing informed of his address, as far as he could, if he had to leave London, and to take the earliest opportunity of meeting Arthur Wharton at his uncle's house.

"You will like him," said Lord Ealing. "He's a nice boy--not quite broken in yet, but shaping very well. Alison's rather a queer customer, but I expect you will get along with him all right."