"
Virginia laid her hand tremulously upon the locket.
"They shall be safe," she said, "but tell me this. I am never to give
them up to any one but you?"
"Never under any conditions," he answered.
"Not even," she asked, "if any one should bring a written message from
you?"
"Distrust it," he answered. "Do not give them up. Into my hands only,
remember that."
The telephone bell rang suddenly at his elbow. Phineas Duge took off the
receiver and held it to his ear. The quiet, measured voice of Stephen
Weiss came travelling along the wire.
"Say, Duge, I am half inclined to think we made a mistake in signing
that paper," he said. "Of course, I know it's safe in your keeping, but
I don't fancy my name standing written on a document that means quite
what that means. I fancy that Higgins is a little nervous, too. We'll
meet and talk it over to-morrow night."
Phineas Duge smiled faintly as he answered--
"Just as you like, only I must tell you that I entirely disagree. Unless
we strike, and strike quickly, that bill will become law, and we shall
all have to print a European address upon our notepaper, if we get
as far."
"I speak for the others, too," Weiss continued.
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