n. Valyajnikoff made the experiment, and
Shadursky attentively followed every movement. The charcoal glowed
white hot, the dust ran together and disappeared, and in its place,
when the charcoal had cooled a little, and the amateur chemist
presented it to Prince Shadursky, the prince saw a little ball of gold
lying in a crevice of the charcoal, such as might easily have formed
under the heat of the blow-pipe.

"Take the globule, your excellency, and place it, for greater
security, in your pocketbook," said Escrocevitch; "you may even wrap
it up in a bit of paper; and keep the sack of gold dust yourself, so
that there can be no mistake."

Shadursky gladly followed this last piece of advice.

"And now, your excellency, I should like you kindly to select another
bag; we shall make two or three more tests in the same way."

The prince consented to this also.

Escrocevitch handed him a new piece of charcoal to sprinkle dust on,
and once more brought the blow-pipe into operation. And again the
brass filings disappeared and in the crevice appeared a new globule of
gold.

"Well, perhaps these two tests will be sufficient. What is your
excellency good enough to think on that score?" asked the supposed
Valyajnikoff.

"What is the need of further tests? The matter is clear enough,"
assented the prince.

"If it is satisfactory, we shall proceed to make it even more
satisfactory. Here we have a touch-stone, and here we have some nitric
acid. Try the globules on the touch-stone physically, and, so to
speak, with the nitric acid chemically. And if you wish to make even
more certain, this is what we shall do. What quantity of gold does
your excellency wish to take?"

"The more the better. I am ready to buy all these bags."

"_Very_ much obliged to your excellency, as this will suit me
admirably," said Escrocevitch, bowing low. "And so, if your excellency
is ready, then I humbly beg you to take each bag, examine it, and seal
it with your excellency's own seal. Then let us take one of the
globules and go to one of the best jewelers in St. Petersburg. Let him
tell us the value of the gold and in this way the business will be
exact; there will be no room for complaint on either side, since
everything will be fair and above board."

The prince was charmed with the honesty and frankness of Mr.
Valyajnikoff.

They went together to one of the best-known jewelers, who, in their
presence, made a test and announced that the gold w