"
Lady Lawless caught her breath; but she believed him. "You must be very
rich."
"Owning newspapers doesn't mean riches. It's a lever, though, for tipping
the dollars your way."
"I suppose they have--tipped your way?"
"Yes: pretty well. But, don't follow this lead any farther, Lady Lawless,
or you may come across something that will give you a start. I should
like to keep on speaking terms with you."
"You mean that a man cannot hold fifty newspapers under his thumb, and
live in the glare of a search-light also?"
"Exactly. You can't make millions without pulling wires."
She saw him watching the girl on her husband's arm. She had the instinct
of her sex. She glanced at the stately girl again; then at Mr.
Vandewaters critically, and rejoined, quizzically: "Did you--make
millions?"
His eyes still watching, he replied abstractedly. "Yes: a few handfuls,
and lost a few--'that's why I'm here.'"
"To get them back on the London market?"
"That's why I am here."
"You have not come in vain?"
"I could tell you better in a month or so from now. In any case, I don't
stand to lose. I've come to take things away from England."
"I hope you will take away a good opinion of it."
"If there'd been any doubt of it half an hour ago, it would be all gone
this minute."
"Which is nice of you; and not in your usual vein, I should think.
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