A Dangerous Catspaw Author:David Christie Murray Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. Wtncott Esden had still another visitor that day—a long-haired, long-handed, nervous man, with a face that looked all nose. He had an impediment ... more »in his speech, and was inclined to be confidentially tearful. He answered to the name of J. P., and seemed contented with that mutilated form of address. 'You won't think I'm bothering you, will you?' said J. P. 'But if you forget that bill, you'll break me. I can't meet it, any more than I can fly.' ' My dear fellow,' responded Esden, ' there's no earthly need for you to worry. You may regard the thing as being settled. You will never hear another word about it.' The visitor, protesting that a great weight was taken from his mind, withdrew, and left Esden to himself. ' I must really do something about that mat ter,' he confessed, ' and I must do it at once, though where the deuce the money is to come from is more than I can guess. I can't ruin J. P. That's out of the question. I'll see Sheldon. I'll go and see him now.' He walked briskly into the Strand, and, hailing a hansom, drove to the offices of a money- lending solicitor of his acquaintance in Cork Street. Mr. Sheldon, despite his Christian- sounding name, was eminently Jewish in aspect and accent. 'Want money?' he said, when Esden had unfolded his story. ' So do I. So does everybody. You're likely to want it, and to go on wanting it. There's more of your paper in the market than I'd give a farthing in the pound for.' ' I can't let the other fellow in for the bill,' said Esden. 'Very well, then,' responded the solicitor. 'Don't.' Esden had never worked at a jury as he worked at this obdurate Hebrew. He coaxed, cajoled, and nattered. He said a hundred good things, and the solicitor, who had a sense of fun, laughed until his sides ached. ...« less