But the point is, how will your
friend take it? You refuse a favour, and you take the
high horse at the same time; you disappoint him, and
you rap him over the knuckles. It won't do, Mr. Dodd;
no friendship can stand that. You must be as good as
your friend, or as bad as your friend, or start on a
fresh deal without him."
"I don't see it," said I. "You don't know Jim."
"Well, you WILL see," said Nares. "And now, here's
another point. This bit of money looks mighty big to
Mr. Pinkerton; it may spell life or health to him; but
among all your creditors, I don't see that it amounts
to a hill of beans--I don't believe it'll pay their
car-fares all round. And don't you think you'll ever
get thanked. You were known to pay a long price for
the chance of rummaging that wreck; you do the
rummaging, you come home, and you hand over ten
thousand--or twenty, if you like,--a part of which
you'll have to own up you made by smuggling; and, mind!
you'll never get Billy Fowler to stick his name to a
receipt. Now just glance at the transaction from the
outside, and see what a clear case it makes.
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