'She has none,' said she, with a snap as if she were shutting up a safe
with a spring lock.
'That depends on what you call a fortune,' answered the Greek coolly.
'In Paris most people would think it quite enough. It is true that it
is in litigation.' 'I really cannot see how that can interest you,' said Mrs. Rushmore in
an offended tone.
'It interests me a good deal. I have come to see you in order to
propose that you should compromise the suit about that invention.' Mrs. Rushmore drew herself up against the straight back of the garden
chair and glared at him in polite wrath.
'You will pardon my saying that I consider your interferences very much
out of place, sir,' she said.
'But you will forgive me, dear madam, for differing with you,' said
Logotheti with the utmost blandness. 'This business concerns me quite
as much as Miss Donne.' 'You?' Mrs. Rushmore was amazed.
'I fancy you have heard that Mr. Alvah Moon has sold the invention to a
New York syndicate.' 'Yes--but----' 'I am the syndicate.' 'You!' The good lady was breathless with astonishment. 'I cannot
believe it,' she gasped.
Logotheti's hand went to his inner breast pocket.
'Should you like to see the telegrams?' he asked quietly. 'Here they
are. My agent's cable to me, my instructions to him, his
acknowledgment, his cable saying that the affair is closed and the
money paid. They are all here. Pray look at them.' Mrs. Rushmore looked at the papers, for she was cautious, even when
surprised. There was no denying the evidence he showed her. Her hands
fell upon her knees and she stared at him.
'So you have got control of all that Margaret can ever hope to have of
her own,' she said blankly, at last. 'Why have you done it?' Logotheti smiled as he put the flimsy bits of paper into his pocket
again.
'Purely as a matter of business,' he answered. 'I shall make money by
it, though I have paid Mr. Moon a large sum, and expect to make a heavy
payment to you if we agree to compromise the old suit, which, as you
have seen by the telegrams, I have assumed with my eyes open. Now, my
dear Mrs. Rushmore, shall we talk business? I am very anxious to oblige
you, and I am not fond of bargaining. I propose to pay a lump sum on
condition that you withdraw the suit at once. You pay your lawyers and
I pay those employed by Mr. Moon. Now, what sum do you think would be
fair? That is the question. Please understand that it is you who will
be doing me a favour, not I who offer to do you a service. As I
understand it, you never claimed of Mr. Moon the whole value of the
invention. It was a suit in equity brought on the ground that Mr. Moon
had paid a derisory price for what he got, in other words--but is Mr.
Moon a personal friend of yours, apart from his business?' 'A friend!' cried Mrs. Rushmore in horror. 'Goodness gracious, no!' 'Very well,' continued Logotheti. 'Then we will say that he cheated
Miss Donne's maternal grandfather--is that the relationship? Yes. Very
good. I propose to hand over to you the sum out of which Miss Donne's
maternal grandfather was cheated. If you will tell me just how much it
was, allowing a fair interest, I will write you a cheque. I think I
have a blank one here.' He produced a miniature card-case of pale blue morocco, which exactly
matched his tie, and drew from it a blank cheque carefully folded to
about the size of two postage stamps.