ures were good--that they were better
than many I had seen sold for high prices. I spoke quietly, but with
inward desperation.

'A hundred pounds.'

My landlady clasped her hands.

'What?' said the stranger sharply. 'Say seventy-five.'

My landlady absolutely curtsied, with her hands clasped.

'If you think that is a fair price,' I said.

The stranger looked at me for a minute, then turned to my landlady.

'Pardon me a minute,' he said, waving a backward hand to me. Then to the
landlady; 'What sort of gentleman is this? Dissipated dog, eh?'

'Lord bless you, no, sir,' said the landlady; 'the steadiest gentleman I
ever had in the house.'

'H'm,' said the stranger, facing round on me. 'Want a hundred pounds for
'em, eh? Very well. If I can't get 'em for less. Pen and ink anywhere?
Ah, I see.'

He wrote a cheque standing at the table. Then he produced a card.

'That's my address. Glad to see you, if you'll call. Any Friday evening
after eight. I've got a cab at the door, and I'll take these away at
once.'

I was embarrassed by a terrible suspicion. I had read and heard much of
London fraud.

'You will pardon me, sir. You are too much a man of the world not to
forgive a little caution in a man who is selling all he has.' Then I
stumbled and could not go on.

'Ah!' he said, 'quite right. Stupid of me, to be sure. Wait a minute.'

He seized the cheque and his hat, and went heavily downstairs. When he
was at the bottom of the first flight he shouted, 'Back directly,' and
so went down the other three flights, and out-of-doors.

My landlady opened the window, and looked out.

'He's gone into the bank, sir,' she said; then ran to the head of the
stairs and screamed for somebody to open the door.

'He's coming out of the bank, sir,' said the landlady after an interval
of renewed observation. He came upstairs, solidly, and into the room.

'Count that,' he said, and placed a small bag on the table.

I counted the contents of the bag, but my fingers trembled, and I was
confused. I made out one hundred and six pounds.

'No,' he said, 'make no mistakes at the bank?

He counted the money rapidly.

'One hundred and five.'

'We agreed for one hundred, sir,' I said pushing five pounds across the
table.

'Guineas,' he said brusquely. 'Always guineas in art. Don't know why,
but always is. Oblige me, ma'am, by carrying these downstairs.'

My landlady took the pictures in her arms.

They were defended from ea