I thanked my skipper friend, while telling him that I had myself
had no intention of dealing with the merchant.
Scarcely had I left Mr. Flett two minutes before I heard someone
walking hurriedly behind me. I was quickly overtaken by old Isaac
and Tom Kinlay.
"Ericson," said Tom with a friendly tone in his voice, as though we
had never quarrelled. "Let the old man hae a sight o' that thing
ye've got round yer neck, will ye?"
I put my hands in my trousers pockets, and made no reply.
"I gif you tree shilling for it," said the Jew.
"Keep your dirty money, sir," I said, turning on my heel.
Then, as though he did not wish Kinlay to overhear his offer, he
followed me, taking me by the sleeve:
"Ah! mine friend," he said coaxingly, "I see you know wot it is.
Very well, den, I gif you a sovereign."
"A sovereign!" I exclaimed aloud.
And Kinlay, who had now come up to us, opened his eyes in surprise.
"Take the money, man," he urged.
"Nay, nay," I said. "If you like to give the value of two hundred
pounds in exchange for ten guineas, I am certainly not so green.
Besides, ye ken weel enough that those things were not rightly
yours. Mr. Drever has told you that."
He did not appear to notice the latter part of what I said.
"Two hundred pounds!" he exclaimed, looking from me to the Jew.
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