Пробный камень
IV
Atanyrate,youwon’tgivethemtoJoslin?They’dfillabook,wouldn’tthey?”
“Isupposeso.Idon’tknowhowmuchittakestofillabook.”
“Notlove-letters,yousay?”
“Why?”flashedfromGlennard.
“Oh,nothing—onlythebigpublicissentimental,andiftheywere—why,youcouldgetanymoneyforMargaretAubyn’slove-letters.”
Glennardwassilent.
“Arethelettersinterestinginthemselves?Imeanapartfromtheassociationwithhername?”
“I’mnojudge.”Glennardtookuphishatandthrusthimselfintohisovercoat.“IdaresayIsha’n’tdoanythingaboutit.And,Flamel—youwon’tmentionthistoanyone?”
“Lord,no.Well,Icongratulateyou.You’vegotabigthing.”Flamelwassmilingathimfromthehearth.
Glennard,onthethreshold,forcedaresponsetothesmile,whilehequestionedwithloiteringindifference—“Financially,eh?”
“Rather;Ishouldsayso.”
Glennard’shandlingeredontheknob.“Howmuch—shouldyousay?Youknowaboutsuchthings.”
“Oh,Ishouldhavetoseetheletters;butIshouldsay—well,ifyou’vegotenoughtofillabookandthey’refairlyreadable,andthebookisbroughtoutattherighttime—saytenthousanddownfromthepublisher,andpossiblyoneortwomoreinroyalties.Ifyougotthepublishersbiddingagainsteachotheryoumightdoevenbetter;butofcourseI’mtalkinginthedark.”
“Ofcourse,”saidGlennard,withsuddendizziness.HishandhadslippedfromtheknobandhestoodstaringdownattheexoticspiralsofthePersianrugbeneathhisfeet
