Part 33 (1/2)

”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 s.h.i.+ne 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 cuc.u.mber.

”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 fix their vally at, now, mister--thereabouts, anyway?”

”Good heavens, man!” I said. ”They're worth a great deal of money--a great deal.”

”I'm very well aware o' that, mister,” he answered. ”Very well aware indeed--n.o.body better. I seen a deal o' things in my time, and I ain't no fool.”

”You really want to sell them?” I asked.

”If I get the full price,” said he. ”And that, of course, would be a big 'un.”

”The thing to do,” I said, ”would be to find somebody who wants to complete a particularly fine set of pearls--some very rich woman who'd stick at nothing. The same remark applies to the rubies.”

”Maybe you could come across some customer?” he suggested.

”No doubt, in a little time,” I answered.

”Well,” he said, ”I'm going up North--I've a bit o' business that way, and I reckon I'll be back here in London in a week or so--I'll call in then, mister, and if you've found anybody that's likely to deal, I'll show 'em the goods with pleasure.”

”You'd better leave them with me, and let me show them to some possible buyers,” I said. But he was already folding up his canvas wrapping again.

”Guv'nor,” he answered, ”I can see as how you're a honest man, and I treats you as such, and so will, but I couldn't have them things out o' my possession for one minute until I sells 'em. I've a brother, mister,” he added, ”as owns a half-share in 'em--d'ye see?--and I holds myself responsible to him. But now that you've seen 'em guv'nor, find a buyer or buyers--I'll shove my bows round that door o' yours again this day week.” And with that he restored his treasures to their hiding-place, a.s.sumed his garments once more, and remarking that he had a train to catch, hastened off, again a.s.suring me that he would call in a week, on his return from the North.

It was not until he had been gone several minutes that I remembered that I had forgotten to ask his name. I certainly expected him to be back at the end of the week--but he didn't come, and just then I had to go away. Now I take him to have been the man, Salter Quick, who was murdered on the Northumberland coast--no doubt for the sake of those jewels. As for their value, I estimated it, from my cursory examination of them, to have been certainly not less than eighty thousand pounds.

I folded up the statement and restored it to Scarterfield.

”What do you think of that?” he asked.