"
"That's all very well," Tavernake remarked, "but what about the
plots that already belong to me?"
"They have some sort of scheme for leaving those high and dry,"
the solicitor explained. "You see, the drainage and lighting
will be largely influenced by the purchaser of the whole estate.
If Dowling gets it, he means to treat your plots so that they
will become practically valueless. It's rather a mean sort of
thing, but then he's a mean little man."
Tavernake nodded.
"Well," he announced, "I was coming to see you, anyhow, this
morning, to talk to you about the money."
"Your friend isn't backing out?" the lawyer asked, quickly.
"My friend has not said anything about backing out yet,"
Tavernake replied, "but circumstances have arisen during the last
few days which have altered my own views as to the expediency of
business relations with this person. I haven't any reason to
suppose that the money won't be forthcoming, but if I could get
it from any other source, I should prefer it."
The solicitor looked blank.
"Of course," he said, "I'll do what I can, if you like, but I may
as well tell you at once that I don't think I should have a ghost
of a chance of raising the whole amount."
"I suppose," Tavernake inquired, thoughtfully, "your firm
couldn't do anything?"
"We could do something, certainly," the solicitor answered, "on
account of our own clients. We might, perhaps, manage up to five
thousand pounds. That would still leave us wanting seven,
however, and I scarcely see where we could get it.
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