" But, here again, Jasper Gaunt smiled his slow smile and
shook his head.
"That, I grieve to say, is quite impossible, Mr. Beverley."
"Why?"
"Because I make it a rule never to divulge my clients' affairs to a
third party; and, sir,--I never break my rules."
"Then--you refuse to tell me?"
"It is--quite impossible."
So there fell a silence while the wide, fearless eyes of Youth
looked into the narrow, watchful eyes of Experience. Then Barnabas
rose, and began to pace to and fro across the luxurious carpet; he
walked with his head bent, and the hands behind his back were
tightly clenched. Suddenly he stopped, and throwing up his head faced
Jasper Gaunt, who sat lolling back in his chair again.
"I have heard," said he, "that this sum was twenty thousand pounds,
but, as you say, it may be more,--a few pounds more, or a few
hundreds more."
"Precisely, Mr. Beverley."
"I am, therefore, going to make you an offer--"
"Which I must--refuse."
"And my offer is this: instead of twenty thousand pounds I will
double the sum."
Jasper Gaunt's lolling figure grew slowly rigid, and leaning across
the desk, he stared up at Barnabas under his hairless brows.
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