I have also written out an acknowledgement
that I hold securities of the value, at the closing prices yesterday, of
103,000 pounds 16 shillings," and he handed the paper to Mark.

As the latter left the bank he looked up and down the street, and
muttered an angry exclamation as he caught sight of a rough looking
fellow just turning a corner into a side street. The glance was so
momentary a one that he could not say whether the man was a colored
seaman; but he certainly thought that he was a Lascar.

"I am going to have trouble about that bracelet," he said to himself,
as he hailed a hackney coach and told him to drive to Islington. "I am
convinced that the Colonel was right, and that there are some men over
in this country with the fixed purpose of seeing what is done with those
jewels, and obtaining them if possible. How they could tell that they
were deposited at Cotter's beats me altogether. It may be indeed that
they really knew nothing about it, and have simply been watching me.
They can hardly have been watching me for the last nine months, and yet,
curiously enough, though I have never given the matter a thought since,
Charley Gibbons said that it was a dark colored man who brought the news
that took them to my rescue and saved my life. I have often run against
Lascars, and if they have taken this trouble all along, now that they
have seen me come out of the bank, I shall be watched night and day.

"It is a creepy sort of idea. I should not be afraid of any number of
them if they attacked me openly; but there is no saying what they might
do. I wish Ramoo had been here. I would have consulted him about it; but
as I got a letter from him only last week saying that he had, on the day
of writing it, arrived in Calcutta, it is of no use wishing that. At any
rate, I cannot do better than stick to the plan that my uncle sketched
out, and take them across to Amsterdam. It would be very unfair to take
them to any jeweler here. He might have them in his possession for a
week or ten days before he made me any definite offer for them, and
during that time I would not give a fig for his life. If I distribute
the stones at Amsterdam they would hardly set about attacking twelve
diamond merchants one after another. Well, at any rate, I must say
nothing about the affair to Millicent and Mrs. Cunningham. It was bad
enough my running risks in the pursuit of Bastow; but this would be ten
times worse, and I know Millicent would be f