Monday noon
He was not , according to the standard of many , a dishonest man . But he was not an honest one . He had several weaknesses , the chief among which was venal ambition ; and of courage , that quality which makes all other qualities seem just a little tawdry and futile , he had none except in a broad , physical sense . He was not , of course , afraid of the dark , but he was decidedly afraid of James Wintermuth ; and when on Monday noon the telephone rang at the call of Mr. Murch , it is not too much to say that he was momentarily shaken . `` Suppose you drop around to the Club in about twenty minutes , '' was the suave suggestion of the man at the other end of the line . `` For a moment , '' the Guardian 's Vice-President agreed hastily . `` For a moment , '' he repeated , as he replaced the receiver on its hook .