‘It’s no good jawing,’ said Nidderdale. ‘let’s get the money.’  Then Montague offered to undertake the debt himself, saying that there were money transactions between him and his partner.  But this could not be allowed.  He had only lately come among them, had as yet had no dealing in I.O.U.’s, and was the last man in the company who ought to be made responsible for the impecuniosity of Miles Grendall.  He, the impecunious one,—­the one whose impecuniosity extended to the absolute want of credit,—­sat silent, stroking his heavy moustache.

There was a second conference between Herr Vossner and the two lords, in another room, which ended in the preparation of a document by which Miles Grendall undertook to pay to Herr Vossner L450 at the end...