A NOMANCLH Lo

head-dresses, shoes, and sandals from cvery clim: under the sun—in

short, 1t was the most heterogencous and the oddest collection of things I had cver beheld

under one roof, while the sceitts and smells that assailed the nostrils dehes even a suggestive description.

I had cropped my haiv short o /o [rancorse, donned a blue blouse, a much-

worn patr of trousers, and sabots. Osten- sibly I was a IFfrench ouvricr, but from a certain assumed sullen expression, and a

furtiveness of look, I might have aroused suspicion that I was not averse Lo any little cnterprise, however illegitimate. Indeed, | had purposcly endeavoured to suggest (hat I'was by no means unftamiliar with the IFrench hulks of Brest.

As Ientered the emportum of curios 1 vas confronted by a strange-looking little man, who eved me with a pair of eycs that were as keen as hawk's, and of a purple blackness of hue. IHis face was of the most pronounced Jewish type, and his nosc sin- gularly C,u(mcstl\ prey. Hc wore a Persian cap ol embror- dered velvet, and was otherwise attived in a very much frayed and faded Fastern robe, looscly held together at the waist b}f dl silkent cord ornamented with gold thread, while his feet were thrust into a pair ul‘ Turkish slippers. In age he was probably about thirty, though hucall) looked older,

while his ggnual expresston was that of

cupidity and cunning. He was engaged 1n examining a bundle of silk handkerchicls from some [astern bazaar , and, as I entered, he snarled out, as he fixed his Cyes Upon me—

“What do vou want 7"

He spoke 1n Irench, ot answered him in French,

“ I want to sce the head ol the hrm," | satl.

“1I'm the head at present,” he growled again. “ What is your business ? "

“Trade,” T mumbled.

“What have you got o trade? " hc demanded in the same growling sort of way,

“ Nothing,” T answered sharply, “ il you treat me like a dog.” :

“Wherc do you come from 7 with a sort of savage cagerness.

“Paris,” was my curt answer.

“So. And what arc your? "

“Somethiny more than 1 secm,” 1 tered.

course, and [

AR

he asked

mut-

‘And what have you got. to trade ? " he

A DETECTIVE S CASE

combination of

ol the beak of a bird of

-BOOK. 121

“Gems and jewels,” I replied, fixing my cyes upon him,and I saw his grow bllohtu' if that were l)UnhlblL, while in their dark depths the auwri sacra tfames manifested itselt as T had never to my knowlcedge seen it do msuch a way m any other eyes. The light that gleamed from those dark orbs was the light that comes into the miser's cyes at the sight of a heap of gold.

“Where did you get them? " he fairly gasped out, suppressing his excitement as well as he could, though it was too manifest to be altogether concealed.

“AWelly siry that's my business,” T re- plicd ; * but I had @ hint given me by one who is as staunch as steel that vour firm would do a tladc. I'd like to sce your father, though.”

“You can't.”

“Why not ?"

" Because he 1s not here. 1 tell you I'm the head at present, and I can do business as well as he can.”

Iaffected not to notice this remark, but asked—

“\When will your father be back 7

“I don't know.”

• Can you give me no idea ?

N0

“Then ' come again,” 1 said, and ]

made a mu\ cment as il about to go.

“Stay Y he eried. I you want a good market, it is here; and Tl deal fairly you, lf}OLI have stuff that is worth atten- tion."’

• Oh, of that there 1s no doubt.

come agam when yvour father is in.”

This reiteration irritated him, and he said in the snarling way I had already noticed —

“You are a fool, and 1f vou won't Lmd with mic, vou shan't trade my father.

“AWell, that may be so,” I said with in- difference, “ but 1'1 try lnm, anyway."”

“Then yvou'll have to wait a pretty long time.”’

But I'll

H \Vh\ P)Lulua(, he's not 1n the country.’ “NWhereis he?

“He's in Morocco,” came the unguarded answer , and, h()uoh 1t Lutaml\ mioht have been my hmq, I believe 1 IL[LLtL(l 1 his face cvidence of a fecling on his part that he had been foolish in speaking so hurriedly,

HOD he's in Morecco, 1she ! Texclaimed.

• \Wel 1, that's unfortunate for me.” Then

after some moments of reflection, 1 asked, ATe vor ta be trusted 2