kes a good offer when it is made
to him."

"You have not made me an offer," he observed.

"What! do you expect to be paid simply for giving me a bit of
information which cost you nothing, and cannot benefit you to keep?" I
said, laughing. "However, as you value it so highly, I will give you
the price of the brooch if you enable me in any way to trace where it
came from." The fellow, cunning as he was, was for a moment outwitted,
and did not suspect the trembling anxiety with which I waited for his
account.

"Well, then, you must know that two months ago I sailed from hence in a
trading schooner to visit the island of Timor, where I wished to
transact some mercantile business with the Portuguese. I can sometimes
drive a bargain with them when I fail with the Dutch, who are very
keen--too keen to please me. Have you ever been to Timor?"

"No," I answered, with some little impatience; "no; but go on with your
story."

"I thought not," he continued, with provoking slowness. "Timor is a
large island, and a fine island, but not so large or so fine as Java.
The Dutch have possessions in some part of it, as well as the
Portuguese, and a good many of my countrymen are found there. It
produces, too, a clever race of little horses--very clever little
horses."

"But what has that to do with the brooch?" I exclaimed, foolishly
losing all my patience. "Go on with your story without further delay."
The fellow saw by the expression of my countenance that I was really
anxious about the matter; and hoping, probably, to get better paid for
his information another day, he pretended to remember that he had his
goods to sell, and shouldering his bamboo, with his cases hanging at
either end of it, off he marched, uttering aloud his cries to attract
customers. I called him back; I felt inclined to rush after him--to
seize him--to force the information from him; but he would not listen,
and he was soon lost among the motley crowd I have described. I felt
almost sure that he would come back the next day but in the meantime I
was left in a state of the most cruel anxiety. Here was the best clue I
had yet met with almost within my grasp, to guide me in my search for
Eva and Mrs Clayton, and I was not allowed to reach it. The time had
arrived for me to join Mr Scott, who had invited me to accompany him to
his country house, about three miles from the town. The road led us
past numerous kampongs and country houses, all the way