o having for the moment
escaped my recollection, I answered at once--"No, I found nothing; and,
in truth, it seemed to me that some people had probably forestalled me,
and left nothing for me or any one else to find." The man laughed at
this, as though it were a very good joke. At that instant, the finding
the little brush occurred to my mind, and I determined now in my turn
to ascertain, if possible, whether it were that he was in search of.

"'I asked him, therefore, whether he had heard of any valuable being
missed from the old man's room, as he had questioned me about it.

"'"Not exactly that," he said. "A good deal of valuable property might
have been taken, he supposed," and again he laughed, "from the old
man's room, but he was not concerned about that."

"'"No," thought I, "for you probably know where to find it."

"'"What I wish to recover," continued the man, "is not an article of
value at all, only a little brush that a friend of mine dropped in the
confusion, and which he is very anxious to get again, because it
belonged to his father and his grandfather before him."

"'"I fear," answered I, "that you will not find it in the old man's
room, because I looked about the place, and I noticed a good many other
keen eyes doing the same, and nothing of any kind was to be seen."

"'"No, there is no brush there now," said he; "you may be sure I have
ascertained that for myself before applying to you. If you did not see
it, I fear it is lost beyond recovery, and I would pay handsomely for
it too, if I could find it."

"'"Why," said I, "as to that, you need make but little fuss over the
loss of a little brush; a single dinar will buy you five score of them."

"'"True," said he, "but the little brush I am in search of was of a
special make, such as men in these days know not how to fashion."

"'"After all," said I, "it is but a matter of shape and fancy, for
there can be no great difference in value between two brushes of the
same size."

"'"However that may be," said the man, "if by talking with your
customers you can discover this little brush, and procure it for me, I
will give you a good price for it."

"'"What do you call a good price?" I inquired.

"'"I will give you," he said, "ten dinars for it."

"'He looked at me very hard, to observe what effect this offer would
produce, for no doubt, in spite of my denial, he suspected that I had
picked up the brush. But I reflected that the brush must hav