As he spoke the young man smiled.  His eyes shone straight into the barrister’s.  With a quick, dexterous movement of his right hand he pointed to various portions of his clothes.

“Then again you might see a pin here in the tie.  However we do not appropriate.  Such gents nowadays—­they hardly ever wear a real stone.  Then I comes up to him.  I begin straight off to talk to him like a gent:  ’Sir, would you be so kind as to give me a light from your cigarette’—­or something of the sort.  At any rate, I enter into conversation.  What’s next?  I look him straight in the peepers, just like this.  Only two of me fingers are at it—­just this and this.”  Yasha lifted two fingers of his right hand on a level with the solicitor’s face, the forefinger and the middle finger and moved them about.

“D’ you see?  With these two fingers I run over the whole pianner.  Nothin’ wonderful in it:  one, two, three—­ready.  Any man who wasn’t stupid could learn easily.  That’s all it is.  Most ordinary business.  I thank you.”

The pickpocket swung on his heel as if to return to his seat.

“Yasha!” The gentleman in the sandy suit said with meaning weight.  “Yasha!” he repeated sternly.

Yasha stopped.  His back was turned to the barrister, but be evidently gave his representative an imploring look, because the latter frowned and shook his head.

“Yasha!” he said for the third time, in a threatening tone.

“Huh!” The young thief grunted in vexation and turned to face the solicitor.  “Where’s your little watch, sir?” he said in a piping voice.

“Oh!” the Karaite brought himself up sharp.

“You see—­now you say ‘Oh!’” Yasha continued reproachfully.  “All the while you were admiring me right hand, I was operatin’ yer watch with my left.  Just with these two little fingers, under the scarf.  That’s why we carry a scarf.  Since your chain’s not worth anything—­a present from some mamselle and the watch is a gold one, I’ve left you the chain as a keepsake.  Take it,” he added with a sigh, holding out the watch.

“But ...  That is clever,” the barrister said in confusion.  “I didn’t notice it at all.”

“That’s our business,” Yasha said with pride.

He swaggered back to his comrades.  Meantime the orator took a drink from his glass and continued.

“Now, gentlemen, our next collaborator will give you an exhibition of some ordinary card tricks, which are worked at fairs, on steamboats and railways.  With three cards, for instance, an ace, a queen, and a six, he can quite easily...  But perhaps you are tired of these demonstrations, gentlemen."...

“Not at all.  It’s extremely interesting,” the chairman answered affably.  “I should like to ask one question—­that is if it is not too indiscreet—­what is your own specialty?”

“Mine...  H’m...  No, how could it be an indiscretion?...  I work the big diamond shops ... and my other business is banks,” answered the orator with a modest smile.  “Don’t think this occupation is easier than others.  Enough that I know four European languages, German, French, English, and Italian, not to mention Polish, Ukrainian and Yiddish.  But shall I show you some more experiments, Mr. Chairman?”