Heinzman caught his breath like a child about to cry out.

"So that is what you think!" he shouted at them. "That's the sort
of men you think we are! I'll show you you cannot come into honest
men's offices to insoolt them by such insinuations!" He tore the
contract in pieces and threw it in the waste basket. "Get oudt of
here!" he cried.

Newmark arose as dry and precise as ever. Orde was going red and
white by turns, and his hands twitched.

"Then I understand you to refuse our offer?" asked Newmark coolly.

"Refuse! Yes! You and your whole kapoodle!" yelled Heinzman.

He hopped down and followed them to the grill door, repeating over
and over that he had been insulted. The clerks stared in amazement.

Once at the foot of the dark stairs and in the open street, Orde
looked up at the sky with a deep breath of relief.

"Whew!" said he, "that was a terror! We've gone off the wrong foot
that time."

Newmark looked at him with some amusement.

"You don't mean to say that fooled you!" he marvelled.

"What?" asked Orde.