“Twenty-pounds!” he growled.

“Twenty pounds,” repeated Miss Vickers,” or four hundred shillings, if you like it better.  If you wait a moment I’ll make it pennies.”

She leaned back in her chair and, screwing her eyes tight, began the calculation.  “Twelve noughts are nought,” she said, in a gabbling whisper;” twelve noughts are nought, twelve fours are forty—­”

“All right,” said Mr. Tredgold, who had been regarding this performance with astonished disapproval.  “You shall have the twenty pounds, but there is no necessity for us to sign any paper.”

“No, there’s no necessity,” said Miss Vickers, opening her small, sharp eyes again, “only, if you don’t do it, I’ll find somebody that will.”

Mr. Tredgold argued with her, but in vain; Mr. Chalk, taking up the argument and expanding it, fared no better; and Mr. Stobell, opening his mouth to contribute his mite, was quelled before he could get a word out.

“Them’s my terms,” said Miss Vickers; “take’em or leave’em, just as you please.  I give you five minutes by the clock to make up your minds; Mr. Stobell can have six, because thinking takes him longer.  And if you agree to do what’s right—­and I’m letting you off easy—­Mr. Tredgold is to keep the map and never to let it go out of his sight for a single instant.”

She put her head round the side of the chair to make a note of the time, and then, sitting upright with her arms folded, awaited their decision.  Before the time was up the terms were accepted, and Mr. Tredgold, drawing his chair to the table, prepared to draw up the required agreement.

[Illustration:  “Mr. Tredgold prepared to draw up the required agreement.”]

He composed several, but none which seemed to give general satisfaction.  At the seventh attempt, however, he produced an agreement which, alluding in vague terms to a treasure quest in the Southern Seas on the strength of a map provided by Miss Vickers, promised one-fifth of the sum recovered to that lady, and was considered to meet the exigencies of the case.  Miss Vickers herself, without being enthusiastic, said that she supposed it would have to do.

Another copy was avoided, but only with great difficulty, owing to her criticism of Mr. Stobell’s signature.  It took the united and verbose efforts of Messrs. Chalk and Tredgold to assure her that it was in his usual style, and rather a good signature for him than otherwise.  Miss Vickers, viewing it with her head on one side, asked whether he couldn’t make his mark instead; a question which Mr. Stobell, at the pressing instance of his friends, left unanswered.  Then Tredgold left the room to pay a visit to his safe, and, the other two gentlemen turning out their pockets, the required sum was made up, and with the agreement handed to Miss Vickers in exchange for the map.

She bade them good-night, and then, opening the door, paused with her hand on the knob and stood irresolute.