oing, and a
proprietor clever enough not to be inquisitive, with a genius for
minding his own business. A man who has a genius for that thing always
carries it in his face, just as his opposite--the busybody--carries
the traces of his restless inquisitiveness in the face and manner.

That same day we discovered, in a small street leading off Finsbury, a
shop with a sign over the door bearing the legend: "Licensed to sell
spirits and caterer." It had canned and potted meats, along with bottles
of wine, in the window, but was evidently fast going to seed. We pushed
our way in and found a bright, fresh-looking young Englishman,
evidently a countryman, but intelligent and civil, much like a
gamekeeper. We knew at once we had our place and man.

After some weeks we observed, now and then, a couple of sharp-looking
customers hanging about the place.

We feared being watched, and began to think it time to change, so
suddenly ceased calling at mine host's snuggery and took up new quarters
in a private house not far away. About two months later I happened to be
near and called. He received me warmly, and told me we had saved him
from bankruptcy. He had been a gamekeeper on a nobleman's estate, and
his wife had been a housemaid there. They married against the wishes of
their master, but they had five hundred pounds, and, coming to London,
started business on that. Custom was poor, and soon they were at the end
of their rope, when, happily for them, we came along and spent money
enough in his place to set him on his feet again.

[Illustration: BANK OF ENGLAND BULLION VAULTS.]

CHAPTER XIX.

WITH NO REGRETS, WITH NO TORTURING REMORSE.

Although I had the very respectable balance of $67,000 at the bank, I
had not as yet, since my arrival in London, paid it a visit. This was in
pursuance of our plans. So far I had only done business with the
supernumeraries, and none of the people at the top had ever even heard
of me. But we determined that they should not long remain in ignorance
of the great American contractor, F. A. Warren.

Three months had elapsed since our departure from London on our
piratical tour to the Spanish Main. In all nearly five months had
elapsed since Green had introduced me to the Old Lady whose impregnable
vaults we had now at last determined to loot. That in itself was a
favorable circumstance, as it would give me a chance to flourish in a
grandly indefinite way to the effect that I had "for som