Пробный камень
XII
”
Flamel’stonehadbeenthatofunaffectedsurprise,butatthishisaccentchangedandheasked,quickly:“Onwhatground?”
Glennardhadmovedawayfromthedeskandstoodleaningagainstthecalf-backedvolumesofthebookcase.“OnthegroundthatyousoldMrs.Aubyn’slettersforme,andthatIfindtheintermediaryinsuchcasesisentitledtoapercentageonthesale.”
Flamelpausedbeforeanswering.“Youfind,yousay.It’sarecentdiscovery?”
“Obviously,frommynotsendingthechecksooner.YouseeI’mnewtothebusiness.”
“Andsincewhenhaveyoudiscoveredthattherewasanyquestionofbusiness,asfarasIwasconcerned?”
Glennardflushedandhisvoiceroseslightly.“Areyoureproachingmefornothavingremembereditsooner?”
Flamel,whohadspokenintherapidrepressedtoneofamanonthevergeofanger,staredamomentatthisandthen,inhisnaturalvoice,rejoined,good-humoredly,“Uponmysoul,Idon’tunderstandyou!”
ThechangeofkeyseemedtodisconcertGlennard.“It’ssimpleenough—”hemuttered.
“Simpleenough—yourofferingmemoneyinreturnforafriendlyservice?Idon’tknowwhatyourotherfriendsexpect!”
“Someofmyfriendswouldn’thaveundertakenthejob.Thosewhowouldhavedonesowouldprobablyhaveexpectedtobepaid.”
HeliftedhiseyestoFlamelandthetwomenlookedateachother.Flamelhadturnedwhiteandhislipsstirred,butheheldhistemperatenote.“Ifyoumeantoimplythatthejobwasnotaniceone,youlayyourselfopentotheretortthatyouproposedit.
