Part 23 (1/2)

On each side of my long line I make me a half circle--only half way round on the opposite sides. So, now, what I got, eh? You understand him?”

I shook my head. He pointed in turn to the rude ornamentation in the sh.e.l.l clasp. I declare that then I could see a resemblance between the two designs!

”It is curious,” I said.

”_Mein Gott_! it iss more than curious. It iss vonderful! I haf two _Amazonias_ collected by my own bands, and twelve species of my own discovery, yess, in b.u.t.terflies alone. That iss much? Listen. It iss notings! _Here_ iss the _discovery!_”

He took a pace or two excitedly, and came back to thump with his forefinger on the little desk.

”What you see before you iss the sign of the Great Monad! It iss known in China, in Burmah, in all Asia, in all j.a.pan. It iss sign of the great One, of the great Two. In your hand iss the Tah Gook--the Oriental symbol for life, for s.e.x. Myself, I haf seen that in Sitka on Chinese bra.s.ses; I haf seen it on j.a.panese signs, in one land and in another land. But here you show it to me made by the hand of some ignorant aborigine of _this_ continent! On _this_ continent, where it did not originate and does not belong! It iss a discovery! Science shall hear of it. It iss the link of Asia to America. It brings me fame!”

He put his hand into a pocket, and drew it out half filled with gold pieces and with raw gold in the form of nuggets, as though he would offer exchange. I waved him back. ”No,” said I; ”you are welcome to one of these disks, if you please. If you wish, I will take one little bit of these. But tell me, where did you find these pieces of raw gold?”

”Those? They are notings. I recollect me I found these one day up on the Rogue River, not far from my cabin. I am pursuing a most beautiful moth, such as I haf not in all my collection. So, I fall on a log; I skin me my leg. In the moss I find some bits of rock. I recollect me not where, but believe it wa.s.s somewhere there. But what I find now, here, by a stranger--it iss worth more than gold! My friend, I thank you, I embrace you! I am favored by fate to meet you. Go with you to Was.h.i.+ngton? Yess, yess, I go!”

CHAPTER XVIII

THE MISSING SLIPPER

There will always remain something to be said of woman as long as there is one on earth.--_Bauflers_.

My new friend, I was glad to note, seemed not anxious to terminate our acquaintance, although in his amiable and childlike fas.h.i.+on he babbled of matters which to me seemed unimportant. He was eager to propound his views on the connection of the American tribes with the peoples of the Orient, whereas I was all for talking of the connection of England and the United States with Oregon. Thus we pa.s.sed the luncheon hour at the hostelry of my friend Jacques Bertillon; after which I suggested a stroll about the town for a time, there being that upon my mind which left me ill disposed to remain idle. He agreed to my suggestion, a fact for which I soon was to feel thankful for more reasons than one.

Before we started upon our stroll, I asked him to step to my own room, where I had left my pipe. As we paused here for a moment, he noticed on the little commode a pair of pistols of American make, and, with a word of apology, took them up to examine them.

”You also are acquainted with these?” he asked politely.

”It is said that I am,” I answered.

”Sometimes you need to be?” he said, smiling. There smote upon me, even as he spoke, the feeling that his remark was strangely true. My eye fell on the commode's top, casually. I saw that it now was bare. I recalled the strange warning of the baroness the evening previous. I was watched!

My apartment had been entered in my absence. Property of mine had been taken.

My perturbation must have been discoverable in my face. ”What iss it?”

asked the old man. ”You forget someting?”

”No,” said I, stammering. ”It is nothing.”

He looked at me dubiously. ”Well, then,” I admitted; ”I miss something from my commode here. Some one has taken it.”

”It iss of value, perhaps?” he inquired politely.

”Well, no; not of intrinsic value. 'Twas only a slipper--of white satin, made by Braun, of Paris.”

”_One_ slipper? Of what use?--”

”It belonged to a lady--I was about to return it,” I said; but I fear my face showed me none too calm. He broke out in a gentle laugh.

”So, then, we had here the stage setting,” said he; ”the pistols, the cause for pistols, sometimes, eh?”

”It is nothing--I could easily explain--”