"You will trace down the forger
of those pictures before it is too late?"
"I haven't said I'll do that yet," answered Craig measuredly. "I
haven't even said I'd take up the case. Politics is a new game to
me, Mr. Travis. If I go into this thing I want to go into it and
stay in it - well, you know how you lawyers put it, with clean hands.
On one condition I'll take the matter up, and on only one."
"Name it," cried Travis anxiously.
"Of course, having been retained by you," continued Craig with
provoking slowness, "it is not reasonable to suppose that if I find
- how shall I put it - bluntly, yes? - if I find that the story of
Hanford has some - er - foundation, it is not reasonable to suppose
that I should desert you and go over to the other side. Neither is
it to be supposed that I will continue and carry such a thing
through for you regardless of truth. What I ask is to have a free
hand, to be able to drop the case the moment I cannot proceed
further in justice to myself, drop it, and keep my mouth shut. You
understand? These are my conditions and no less."
"And you think you can make good?" questioned Bennett rather
sceptically. "You are willing to risk it? You don't think it would
be better to wait until after the election is won?"
"You have heard my conditions," reiterated Craig.
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