ctu_'--yes, but in this
instance, you see, the pinch of dust was the exciting cause.
Sir, the Austrian ambassador, one fatal afternoon, refused to take
from the box in your hand that which, three weeks later, and all too
late, he would gladly have purchased with many millions. Observe the
imperial crown on the lid, with the bees around it, as if to
illustrate Virgil's warning. I bought the thing myself, sir, for six
napoleons, off a dealer in the Rue du Fouarre: but the price will
rise again. Yes, certainly, I count on its fetching three hundred
pounds at least when I have departed this life, and three hundred
pounds will go some little way towards my monument.'

'Your monument?' I echoed.

He nodded again. 'In good time, my friend, you shall hear about it;
for you make, I perceive, a good listener. You have gifts, though
you do less than justice to them. Suffice it to say that I am a
sentimentalist, like yourself. I never married nor begat children;
and I have but a shaky belief in the future state; but my
sentimentality hankers after--you may even say it postulates--some
kind of continuity. I cannot discuss this here and now, for by the
sound of the violins, the dance is coming to an end, and my guests
will be growing impatient. But you remember Samson's riddle?
Well, out of my corpse (I trust) shall come forth honey: whereas out
of yours, unless you employ your talents better--' He broke off, and
stepped close up to me. 'Ah, but excuse me,' he said, and reaching
out a hand, caught me suddenly by the collar.

The arrest--I made sure it was an arrest--took me unprepared, and
threw me off my balance. I broke away a pace, drawing back my fist
to strike: and in that moment I felt his hand relax with a curious
fluttering movement as though his fingers drummed on the back of my
neck. I heard him laugh too: and before I could hit out he sprang
back, holding in his hand a white rabbit!

'An old trick--eh?--and a simple one.' He pressed out the spring of
his opera hat, dropped the rabbit inside, dived his hand after it,
and drew out two white rabbits by the ears. 'But it will amuse my
young friends downstairs, and I practise this kind of thing at odd
whiles.'

He set the rabbits on the floor, where they gave themselves a shake,
and hopped off towards the shelter of the window-curtains.

'Now you are the very man I wanted,' said he, 'and I am going to make
you sing for your supper.' He stepped to the arm