Treason’s Harbour. Patrick O’Brian

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      ‘Very good. But you would be well advised to keep your distance: treat him as a political consultant, an expert witness, no more. Apart from the ordinary surveillance, I have an agent working on him. He certainly has a private network of informants, some of them in France, and the name of even one might lead us to the rest and so to Paris … But he is a difficult, coriaceous animal and if this agent does not succeed quite soon, success is improbable, and I shall have to ask you to find some plausible manner of putting him out of the way, without compromising my position here.’

      ‘I see,’ said Wray. He considered for a while and then observed, ‘That can be arranged. If nothing else offers before, the Dey of Mascara will certainly deal with the situation. Indeed,’ he added after a moment’s reflection, ‘I believe the Dey can be used to the greatest advantage. He can be used to kill two birds with one stone, as we say.’

      Lesueur looked at him thoughtfully, and after a pause said, ‘Pray count the barrels on your side of the pillar. I cannot see them all from here.’

      ‘Twenty-eight,’ said Wray.

      ‘Thank you.’ Lesueur noted it down in his book. ‘I get seven francs fifty back on each, which is appreciable.’

      While he multiplied these figures to his own satisfaction Wray was visibly formulating his next words. When they came they had the awkward lack of spontaneity of a prepared speech and something more of righteous indignation than the occasion warranted. ‘You spoke of my being an idealist just now,’ he said, ‘and so I am. No sum could purchase my support: no sum did purchase my support. But I cannot live on ideals alone. Until my wife inherits I have only a very limited income, and while I am here I am forced to keep up my position. Sir Hildebrand and all those who can make a good thing out of the dockyard and the victualling play for very high stakes, and I am obliged to follow suit.’

      ‘You drew a large addition to your usual … grant-in-aid before leaving London,’ said Lesueur. ‘You cannot expect the rue Villars to pay your gambling debts.’

      ‘I certainly can when they are incurred for a reason of this kind,’ said Wray.

      ‘I will put it to my chief,’ said Lesueur, ‘but I can promise nothing. Yet surely,’ he said with a burst of impatience, ‘surely you can win these men’s confidence without playing high? It seems to me very poor practice.’

      ‘With these men it is essential,’ said Wray doggedly.