th for Europe while I remained behind. Harris visited
Lyons; and our complete investment was in a choicest sort of Lyons
silk. The rich fabrics were packed in a dozen trunks--not all alike,
these trunks, but differing, one from another, so as to prevent the
notion as they stood about the wharf that there was aught of
relationship between them or that one man stood owner of them all.

It is not needed to tell of my partner's voyage of return. It was
without event and one may safely abandon it, leaving its relation to
Harris himself, if he be yet alive and should the spirit him so move.
It is enough for the present purpose that in due time the trunks
holding our precious silk-bolts, with Harris as their convoy, arrived
safe in New York. I had been looking for the boat's coming and was
waiting eagerly on the wharf as her lines and her stagings were run
ashore. Our partner, the Inspector, and who was to enjoy a per cent of
the profits of the speculation, was named Lorns. He rapidly chalked
"O.K." with his name affixed to the end of each several trunk, and it
thereupon with the balance of inspected baggage was promptly piled
upon the wharf.

There had been a demand for drays, I remember, and on this day when
our silks came in, I was able to procure but one. The ship did not
dock until late in the afternoon, and at eight o'clock of a dark,
foggy April evening, there still remained one of our trunks--the
largest of all, it was--on the wharf. The dray had departed with the
second load for that concealing loft on Reade Street which, in Harris'
absence, I had taken to be used as the depot of those smuggling
operations wherein we might become engaged. I had made every move with
caution; I had never employed our real names, not even with the
drayman.

As I was telling, the dray was engaged about the second trip. This
last large silk-trunk was left behind perforce; pile it how one might,
there had been no safe room for it on the already overloaded dray. The
drayman had promised to return and have it safely in our loft that
night.

For myself, I was from first to last lounging about the wharf,
overseeing the going away of our goods. Harris, so soon as I gave him
key and street-number had posted to Reade Street to attend the silk's
reception. Waiting for the coming back of the conveying dray was but a
slow, dull business, and I was impatiently, at the hour I've named,
walking up and down, casting an occasional glance at the big l