His lips contracted. This damned bandit was capable of
anything.
Lopez paid no attention to him. He asked for enlightenment from Hardy.
"Senor Loan Fish, do you know?"
Pell ventured to get out part of a sentence. "Say, what the ..." But
Pedro's active gun came against his ribs, and he paused, as who would not?
"She gets it all--the wife," Hardy told Lopez. "That is, if the husband
hasn't made a will."
"'Ave you?" the bandit turned on Pell. "'Ave you made a will?" His tone was
incisive. "Do not lie."
"No, damn you!" Pell in his rage cried out. "But I'm going to, the first
min--"
"Good!" smiled Lopez.
Pell was puzzled, "What do you mean ... good?"
Lopez did not answer him; instead, he addressed Lucia: "Senora, your
'usband 'e is bad frand for you. 'E beat you, sometimes?"
Lucia was startled. "Why do you think that?" she asked.
"I 'ave known ladies what are beaten. It is in ze eyes ... as in dogs and
'orses." He waited a second before he went on, came close to her, and
peered earnestly into her eyes. "_Si_, I sink your 'usband a evil man." He
turned on Pell again. "Say, who are you? Your business, I mean?"
"I'm in Wall Street," Pell said, in a low voice.
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