“Here is the money”—Legira produced an envelope from his pocket— “and it makes the final payment.
Five thousand dollars here. You have already received five thousand, not counting the expenses which I
have defrayed for you. I have paid you well, Desmond. In return, you have given me excellent service.”
“That's what you paid for.”
“Desmond,” resumed Legira, “I have further work for you. It is only a matter of a few details; yet I am
willing to pay one thousand dollars for the service. You can attend to these matters for me to- morrow.
They were things that I intended to do myself.”
Desmond waited for Legira to explain.
“Matters that I could easily take care of,” mused Legira, “but now that affairs have tightened, it is best
that some one else should do them. It is not wise for me to call Lopez again from here.”
“Give me the instructions,” said Desmond. “I'll attend to the rest.”
“I shall give you the one thousand dollars first,” declared Legira, producing the money from his pocket.
Desmond smiled as he accepted the bonus.
“I seldom speak at length,” said Legira, “but to-night I must do so. I want to impress upon you the
importance of your mission. Also, I feel that it is better for a man to know more after he has learned a
little.
“Until to-night, you did not know why I rented this house. You did not know where we were going until
we reached the Baltham Trust Company. I shall explain those matters—and other facts in addition.
“I have been in danger, Desmond. It was necessary for me to obtain a fund of money. There are people
who have tried to take it from me. One of them, a South American like myself, has been watching those
persons with whom I have negotiated. Yet he has cunningly kept in the background, doing all his work
through trusted agents.
“It was to deceive his agents that I employed you to obtain a man who could take my place— Perry
Wallace. Free, I was able to swing negotiations and gain possession of the funds to which I was entitled
as agent of the Santander government. You understand?”
“The money is in the box?” inquired Desmond.
“Yes,” admitted Legira. “Safely in the box. I am here on Long Island because I know that all boats for
Santander are being watched. A yacht is at present off this coast. It will meet me by sending in a little
boat, when I give the word.”
“When will that be?”
“To-morrow night, before midnight.” Legira glanced shrewdly at Desmond. “That is why I have a car
here in readiness.”
Desmond's face was placid as he nodded.
“The touring car is in back of the house,” he said. “I drove it over here this afternoon, from the garage at
the town.”
“About two miles?” questioned Legira.
“Just about,” replied Desmond. “I walked back to get the sedan.”
Legira leaned back in his chair. His cold stare traveled past Desmond and rested upon the bookcase at
the side of the room.
It was an old-fashioned piece of furniture. Legira eyed it in an absentminded manner. He noticed the
blackness at the far end, but took it only to be a long shadow cast by the corner of the bookcase.
“Unfortunately,” said Legira, in a thoughtful tone, “matters have taken a bad turn at my house. To- night,
