“We find that it has been pawned for five-and-twenty.”

“A little less than half,” said Algernon.  “Pawnbrokers are simply cheats.”

“They mayn’t be worse than others,” the man observed.

Algernon was exactly in the position where righteous anger is the proper weapon, if not the sole resource.  He flushed, but was not sure of his opportunity for the explosion.  The man read the flush.

“May I ask you, did you pawn it, sir?  I’m obliged to ask the question.”

“I?—­I really don’t—­I don’t choose to answer impudent questions.  What do you mean by coming here?”

“I may as well be open with you, sir, to prevent misunderstandings.  One of the young men was present when you pawned it.  He saw the thing done.”

“Suppose he did?”

“He would be a witness.”

“Against me?  I’ve dealt with Samuels for three-four years.”

“Yes, sir; but you have never yet paid any account; and I believe I am right in saying that this opal is not the first thing coming from our house that has been pledged—­I can’t say you did it on the other occasions.”

“You had better not,” rejoined Algernon.

He broke an unpleasant silence by asking, “What further?”

“My master has sent you his bill.”

Algernon glanced at the prodigious figures.

“Five hun—!” he gasped, recoiling; and added, “Well, I can’t pay it on the spot.”

“Let me tell you, you’re liable to proceedings you’d better avoid, sir, for the sake of your relations.”

“You dare to threaten to expose me to my relatives?” Algernon said haughtily, and immediately perceived that indignation at this point was a clever stroke; for the man, while deprecating the idea of doing so, showed his more established belief in the possible virtue of such a threat.

“Not at all, sir; but you know that pledging things not paid for is illegal, and subject to penalties.  No tradesman likes it; they can’t allow it.  I may as well let you know that Mr. Samuels—­”

“There, stop!” cried Algernon, laughing, as he thought, heartily.  “Mr. Samuels is a very tolerable Jew; but he doesn’t seem to understand dealing with gentlemen.  Pressure comes;” he waved his hand swimmingly; “one wants money, and gets it how one can.  Mr. Samuels shall not go to bed thinking he has been defrauded.  I will teach Mr. Samuels to think better of us Gentiles.  Write me a receipt.”

“For what amount, sir?” said the man, briskly.

“For the value of the opal—­that is to say, for the value put upon it by Mr. Samuels.  Con! hang! never mind.  Write the receipt.”

He cast a fluttering fifty and a fluttering five on the table, and pushed paper to the man for a receipt.

The man reflected, and refused to take them.