“In the first place,” Weiss said, “what about that paper we signed?  I can understand your wanting to hold it over us while we were at war.  It was a fair weapon, and you had a right to it, but now we are united again you can see, of course, that although your name isn’t on it, it would practically mean ruin to our interests if the other side once got hold of it.”

“If I had that paper,” Duge said quietly, “I would tear it up at this moment, but I regret to say that I have not.  It was stolen during my illness.”

“We know that,” Weiss answered.  “We know even in whose hands it is.”

Phineas Duge looked up inquiringly.

“Norris Vine has it,” Weiss continued.  “We have offered him a million, but he declines to sell.  He would have used it for his paper before now, and we should have been on the other side of the ocean, but for the fact that John Drayton advised him not to.  Now he has taken it with him to London.  He is going to ask Deane’s advice.  At any moment the thing may come flashing back.  We may wake up to find a copy of that document in black and white in every paper in New York State.”

“You have offered him a reasonable sum for it,” Phineas Duge said, “and he declines to sell.  Very well, what do you propose to do?”

“It was stolen from you,” Weiss said.  “He may justly decline to treat with us; but it is your property, and you have a right to it.”

“You propose, then?” Phineas Duge asked.

“That you should catch the Kaiserin to London to-morrow,” Higgins said, “and find out this man Vine.  The rest we are content to leave with you, but I think that if you try you will get it.”

Phineas Duge sat quite still for several moments.  He sipped his wine thoughtfully, threw his cigar, which had gone out, into the fire, and lit a cigarette.  He appreciated the force of the suggestion, and a trip to Europe was by no means distasteful to him, but he was not a man to decide upon anything of this sort without reflection.

“A week ago,” he said softly, “even a day ago, and my absence from New York would have meant ruin.  If I leave the country to-morrow, and trust myself upon the ocean for six days, what guarantee have I that you will keep to any arrangement which we might make to-morrow?”

“We will sign affidavits,” Weiss declared, “that we will not, directly or indirectly, enter into any operations in any one of our stocks during your absence, except for your profit as well as our own.  We will execute a deed of partnership as regards any transactions which we might enter into during your absence.”

Phineas Duge nodded thoughtfully.

“I suppose,” he said, “we might be able to fix things up that way.  I should be glad enough to get the paper back again, but Vine is not an easy man to deal with, and he is pleased to call himself my enemy.”

“The men who have called themselves that,” Higgins remarked grimly, “have generally been sorry for it.”