who saw
that very little more would make the scene unendurable to Kate.

"I hope it 's not an It-It-Italian fellow; for they 're all as poor as
Laza-Laza-Laza--"

"Yes, yes, of course; we know that. Your discretion is invaluable," said
Jekyl; "but pray step in, and ask this question for us."

"I'll tell who'll do better," said Purvis, who, once full of a
theme, never paid any attention to what was said by others.
"Midche-Midche-Midche-k-k-off; he owns half of--"

"Never mind what he owns, but remember that Miss Dalton is waiting
all this time," said Jekyl, who very rarely so far lost command of his
temper; and at last Purvis yielded, and entered the shop.

"Come now," said Jekyl to his companion; "it will take him full five
minutes to say 'chatelaine,' and before that we shall be safely housed."
And with these words he hurried her along, laughing, in spite of all her
anxieties, at the absurdity of the adventure. "He 'll see the carriage
when he comes out," added he, "and so I 'll tell the coachman to drive
slowly on towards the Pitti." And thus, without asking her consent, he
assumed the full guidance at once; and, ere she well knew how or why,
she found herself within the dark and dusty precincts of Morlache's
shop.

Jekyl never gave Kate much time for hesitation, but hurried her along
through a narrow passage, from which a winding flight of stone steps
led downwards to a considerable distance, and at last opened upon a
neat little chamber on the level of the Arno, the window opening on the
stream, and only separated from it by a little terrace, covered with
geraniums in full flower. There was a strange undulating motion that
seemed communicated from the stream to the apartment, which Jekyl at
once explained to his companion as a contrivance for elevating and
depressing the chamber with the changes in the current of the river;
otherwise the room must have been under water for a considerable portion
of the year. While he descanted on the ingenuity of the mechanism,
and pointed attention to the portraits along the walls, the Kings and
Kaisers with whom Morlache had held moneyed relations, the minutes
slipped on, and Jekyl' s powers as a talker were called upon to speak
against time, the figety nervousness of his manner, and the frequent
glances he bestowed at the timepiece, showing how impatiently he longed
for the Jew's arrival. To all Kate's scruples he opposed some plausible
pretext, assuring her that, if she