hair. "A good 'un, mind. Lord, this is comfort! It's the first bit o'
comfort I've 'ad since I come ashore five days ago."

The pawnbroker grunted, and producing a couple of black, greasy-looking
cigars, gave one to his guest. They both fell to smoking, the former ill
at ease, the latter with his feet spread out on the small fender, making
the very utmost of his bit of comfort.

"Are you a man as is fond of asking questions?" he said at length.

"No," said the pawnbroker, shutting his lips illustratively.

"Suppose," said the sailor, leaning forward intently--"suppose a man
came to you an' ses-- there's that confounded assistant of yours
peeping through the door."

The pawnbroker got up almost as exasperated as the seaman, and, after
rating his assistant through the half-open door, closed it with a bang,
and pulled down a small blind over the glass.

"Suppose a man came to you," resumed the sailor, after the pawnbroker
had seated himself again, "and asked you for five hundred pounds for
something. Have you got it?"

"Not here," said the pawnbroker suspiciously. "I don't keep any money on
the premises."

"You could get it, though?" suggested the other.

"We'll see," said the pawnbroker; "five hundred pounds is a
fortune--five hundred pounds, why it takes years of work--five hundred
pounds--"

"I don't want no blessed psalms," said the seaman abruptly; "but,
look here, suppose I wanted five hundred pounds for something, and you
wouldn't give it. How am I to know you wouldn't give information to the
police if I didn't take what you offered me for it?"

The pawnbroker threw up his huge palms in virtuous horror.

"I'd mark you for it if you did," said the seaman menacingly, through
his teeth. "It 'ud be the worst day's work you ever did. Will you take
it or leave it at my price, an' if you won't give it, leave me to go as
I came?"

"I will," said the pawnbroker solemnly.

The seaman laid his cigar in the tray, where it expired in a little
puddle of tea, and, undoing his coat, cautiously took from his waist a
canvas belt In a hesitating fashion he dangled the belt in his hands,
looking from the Jew to the door, and from the door back to the Jew
again. Then from a pocket in the belt he took something wrapped in a
small piece of dirty flannel, and, unrolling it, deposited on the table
a huge diamond, whose smouldering fires flashed back in many colors the
light from the gas.

The Jew, with an exclamation, rea