lla racket that attracted him."

We were distinguished under the rose by the notice of other and greater
men. There were days when Jim wore an air of unusual capacity and
resolve, spoke with more brevity, like one pressed for time, and took
often on his tongue such phrases as "Longhurst told me so this morning,"
or, "I had it straight from Longhurst himself." It was no wonder, I used
to think, that Pinkerton was called to council with such Titans; for the
creature's quickness and resource were beyond praise. In the early days
when he consulted me without reserve, pacing the room, projecting,
ciphering, extending hypothetical interests, trebling imaginary capital,
his "engine" (to renew an excellent old word) labouring full steam
ahead, I could never decide whether my sense of respect or entertainment
were the stronger. But these good hours were designed to curtailment.

"Yes, it's smart enough," I once observed. "But, Pinkerton, do you think
it's honest?"

"You don't think it's honest?" he wailed. "O dear me, that ever I should
have heard such an expression on your lips."

At sight of his distress I plagiarised unblushingly from Myner. "You
seem to think honesty as simple as Blind Man's Buff," said I. "It's a
more delicate affair than that: delicate as any art."

"O well, at that rate!" he exclaimed, with complete relief; "that's
casuistry."

"I am perfectly certain of one thing; that what you propose is
dishonest," I returned.

"Well, say no more about it; that's settled," he replied.

Thus, almost at a word, my point was carried. But the trouble was that
such differences continued to recur, until we began to regard each other
with alarm. If there were one thing Pinkerton valued himself upon, it
was his honesty; if there were one thing he clung to, it was my good
opinion; and when both were involved, as was the case in these
commercial cruces, the man was on the rack. My own position, if you
consider how much I owed him, how hateful is the trade of fault-finder,
and that yet I lived and fattened on these questionable operations, was
perhaps equally distressing. If I had been more sterling or more
combative, things might have gone extremely far. But, in truth, I was
just base enough to profit by what was not forced on my attention,
rather than seek scenes; Pinkerton quite cunning enough to avail himself
of my weakness; and it was a relief to both when he began to involve his
proceedings in a decent mystery.