‘Yes, I was the intoxicated miner,’ said Merton.  ’No doubt you have received a report from your agents?’

‘Stupid fellows,’ said the doctor.

‘You are not flattering to me, but let us come to business.  How much?’

‘I need hardly ask,’ said the doctor, ’it would be an insult to your intelligence, whether you have taken the usual precautions?’

Merton, whose chair was tilted, threw himself violently backwards, upsetting his chair, and then scrambled nimbly to his feet.  Between him and the table yawned a square black hole of unknown depth.

‘Hardly fair, Dr. Melville,’ said he, picking up the chair, and placing it on the carpet, ’besides, I have taken the ordinary precautions.  The house is surrounded—­Ned Mahony’s lambs—­the usual statement is in the safe of a friend.  We must really come to the point.  Time is flying,’ and he looked at his watch.  ‘I can give you twenty minutes.’

‘Have you anything in the way of terms to propose?’ asked the doctor, filling his pipe.

‘Well, first, absolute secrecy.  I alone know the state of the case.’

‘Has Mr. Logan no guess?’

’Not the faintest suspicion.  The detectives, when I left Kirkburn, had not even found the trap door, you understand.  You hit on its discovery through knowing the priest’s hole at Oxburgh Hall, I suppose?’

The doctor nodded.

‘You can guarantee absolute secrecy?’ he asked.

’Naturally, the knowledge is confined to me, you, and your partners.  I want the secrecy in Mr. Logan’s interests, and you know why.’

‘Well,’ said the doctor, ‘that is point one.  So far I am with you.’

‘Then, to enter on odious details,’ said Merton, ’had you thought of any terms?’

‘The old man was stiff,’ said the doctor, ’and your side only offered to double him in your advertisement, you know.’

‘That was merely a way of speaking,’ said Merton.  ’What did the marquis propose?’

‘Well, as his offer is not a basis of negotiation?’

‘Certainly not,’ said Merton.

’Five hundred he offered, out of which we were to pay his fare back to Scotland.’

Both men laughed.

‘But you have your own ideas?’ said Merton.

’I had thought of 15,000_l_. and leaving England.  He is a multimillionaire, the marquis.’

‘It is rather a pull,’ said Merton.  ’Now speaking as a professional man, and on honour, how is his lordship?’ Merton asked.

’Speaking as a professional man, he may live a year; he cannot live eighteen months, I stake my reputation on that.’

Merton mused.

‘I’ll tell you what we can do,’ he said.  ’We can guarantee the interest, at a fancy rate, say five per cent, during the marquis’s life, which you reckon as good for a year and a half, at most.  The lump sum we can pay on his decease.’