"I won't have him
speak to you; I won't have him look at you. I'll----"
He beat his dirty hands together and strode off towards the house. Jem
Hardy rose from his chair as the captain entered the room and, ignoring a
look of black inquiry, bade him "Good afternoon."
"What do you want?" asked the captain, gruffly, as he stared him straight
in the eye.
"I came to see you about your son's marriage," said the other. "Are you
still desirous of preventing it?"
"I'm sorry you've had the trouble," said the captain, in a voice of
suppressed anger; "and now may I ask you to get out of my house?"
Hardy bowed. "I am sorry I have troubled you," he said, calmly, "but I
have a plan which I think would get your son out of this affair, and, as
a business man, I wanted to make something out of it."
The captain eyed him scornfully, but he was glad to see this
well-looking, successful son of his old enemy tainted with such sordid
views. Instead of turning him out he spoke to him almost fairly.
"How much do you want?" he inquired.
"All things considered, I am asking a good deal," was the reply.
"How much?" repeated the captain, impatiently.
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