s the port for you--they eats and drinks
and wallers in them sort o' things down that way,' he says.

"So I steers for this here; only, I don't know no fish, d'ye see, as I
could put the question to what I wants to ask."

"Put it to me," said I, drawing out my card-case. "There's my card,
and you can ask anybody within half a square mile if they don't know
me for a trustworthy man. What is it you've got?" I went on, never
dreaming that he'd got anything at all of any great value. "I'll give
you an idea of its worth in two minutes."

But he glanced round at the door and shook his head.

"Not here, mister!" he said. "I wouldn't let the light o' day shine on
what I got in a public place like this, not nohow. But," he added, "I
see you've a office and all that. I ain't undisposed to go there with
you, if you like--you seem a honest man."

"Come on then," I said. "My office is just round the corner, and
though I've clerks in it, we'll be private enough there."

"Right you are, mister," he answered, and he drank off his rum and we
went out and round to my office.

I took him into my private room--I had a young lady clerk in there
(she'd remember this man well enough) and he looked at her and then at
me.

"Send the girl away," he muttered. "There's a matter of
undressing--d'ye see?--in getting at what I want to show you."

I sent her out of the room, and sat down at my desk. He took off his
overcoat, his coat, and his waistcoat, shoved his hand into some
secret receptacle that seemed to be hidden in the band of his
trousers, somewhere behind the small of his back, and after some
acrobatic contortions and twistings, lugged out a sort of canvas
parcel, the folds of which he unwrapped leisurely. And suddenly,
coming close to me, he laid the canvas down on my blotting-pad and I
found myself staring at some dozen or so of the most magnificent
pearls I ever set eyes on and a couple of rubies which I knew to be
priceless. I was never more astonished in my life, but he was as cool
as a cucumber.

"What d'ye think o' that lot, mister?" he asked. "I reckon you don't
see a little lot o' that quality every day."

"No, my friend," said I, "nor every year, either, nor every ten years.
Where on earth did you get them--"

"Away East," said he, "and I've had 'em some time, not being
particular about selling 'em, but I've settled down in England now,
and I think I will sell 'em and buy house-property with the money.
What do you