nch we had chops, wood-pigeons, mushrooms, and mulberry preserve,
and drank wonderful Madeira out of common wine-glasses. I asked the old
man where he got it; he gave me a queer look, and answered with a little
bow:

"Stood me in tu shillin' the bottle, an' the country got nothing out of
it, sir. In the early Thirties; tu shillin' the bottle; there's no such
wine nowadays and," he added, looking at Zachary, "no such men."

Zachary smiled and said: "You did nothing so big, dad, as what I'm after,
now!"

The old man's eyes had a sort of disdain in them.

"You're going far, then, in the Pied Witch, Zack?"

"I am," said Zachary.

"And where might yu be goin' in that old trampin' smut factory?"

"Morocco."

"Heu!" said the old man, "there's nothing there; I know that coast, as I
know the back o' my hand." He stretched out a hand covered with veins
and hair.

Zachary began suddenly to pour out a flood of words:

"Below Mogador--a fellow there--friend of mine--two years ago now.
Concessions--trade-gunpowder--cruisers--feuds--money&
mdash;chiefs--Gatling guns--Sultan--rifles--rebellion--gold." He
detailed a reckless, sordid, bold scheme, which, on the pivot of a
trading venture, was intended to spin a whole wheel of political
convulsions.

"They'll never let you get there," said old Pearse.

"Won't they?" returned Zachary. "Oh yes, they will, an' when I leave,
there'll be another dynasty, and I'll be a rich man."

"Yu'll never leave," answered the old man.

Zachary took out a sheet of paper covered with figures. He had worked
the whole thing out. So much--equipment, so much--trade, so
much--concessions, so much--emergencies. "My last mag!" he ended, "a
thousand short; the ship's ready, and if I'm not there within a month my
chance is as good as gone."

This was the pith of his confidences--an appeal for money, and we all
looked as men will when that crops up.

"Mad!" muttered the old man, looking at the sea.

"No," said Zachary. That one word was more eloquent than all the rest of
his words put together. This fellow is no visionary. His scheme may be
daring, and unprincipled, but--he knows very well what he's about.

"Well!" said old Pearse, "you shall have five 'undred of my money, if
it's only to learn what yu're made of. Wheel me in!" Zachary wheeled
him into the house, but soon came back.

"The old man's cheque for five hundred pounds!" he said, holding it up.
"Mr. Treffry, give me ano