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price does not suit me。 I only happen to have thirty…four and
sixpence in my pocket； of which I want a shilling for the waiter；
and eighteen pence for my cab。 You rich foreigners and SWELLS may
spend what you like〃 （I had him there： for my friend's dress was as
shabby as an old…clothes man's）； 〃but a man with a family； Mr。
Whatd'you…call'im； cannot afford to spend seven or eight hundred a
year on his dinner alone。〃
〃Bah！〃 he said。 〃Nunkey pays for all； as you say。 I will what you
call stant the dinner； if you are SO POOR！〃 and again he gave that
disagreeable grin； and placed an odious crook…nailed and by no
means clean finger to his nose。 But I was not so afraid of him
now； for we were in a public place； and the three glasses of port
wine had； you see； given me courage。
〃What a pretty snuff…box！〃 he remarked； as I handed him mine； which
I am still old…fashioned enough to carry。 It is a pretty old gold
box enough； but valuable to me especially as a relic of an old； old
relative； whom I can just remember as a child； when she was very
kind to me。 〃Yes； a pretty box。 I can remember when many ladies
most ladies； carried a boxnay； two boxestabatiere and
bonbonniere。 What lady carries snuff…box now； hey？ Suppose your
astonishment if a lady in an assembly were to offer you a prise？ I
can remember a lady with such a box as this； with a tour； as we
used to call it then； with paniers； with a tortoise…shell cane；
with the prettiest little high…heeled velvet shoes in the world！
ah！ that was a time； that was a time！ Ah； Eliza； Eliza； I have
thee now in my mind's eye！ At Bungay on the Waveney； did I not
walk with thee； Eliza？ Aha； did I not love thee？ Did I not walk
with thee then？ Do I not see thee still？〃
This was passing strange。 My ancestressbut there is no need to
publish her revered namedid indeed live at Bungay St。 Mary's；
where she lies buried。 She used to walk with a tortoise…shell
cane。 She used to wear little black velvet shoes； with the
prettiest high heels in the world。
〃Did youdid youknow； then； my great…gr…nd…m…ther？〃 I said。
He pulled up his coat sleeve〃Is that her name？〃 he said。
〃Eliza〃
There； I declare； was the very name of the kind old creature
written in red on his arm。
〃YOU knew her old；〃 he said； divining my thoughts （with his strange
knack）； 〃I knew her young and lovely。 I danced with her at the
Bury ball。 Did I not； dear； dear Miss ？〃
As I live； he here mentioned dear gr…nny's MAIDEN name。 Her maiden
name was 。 Her honored married name was 。
〃She married your great…gr…ndf…th…r the year Poseidon won the
Newmarket Plate；〃 Mr。 Pinto dryly remarked。
Merciful powers！ I remember； over the old shagreen knife and spoon
case on the sideboard in my gr…nny's parlor； a print by Stubbs of
that very horse。 My grandsire； in a red coat； and his fair hair
flowing over his shoulders； was over the mantelpiece； and Poseidon
won the Newmarket Cup in the year 1783！
〃Yes； you are right。 I danced a minuet with her at Bury that very
night； before I lost my poor leg。 And I quarreled with your
grandf； ha！〃
As he said 〃Ha！〃 there came three quiet little taps on the table
it is the middle table in the 〃Gray's…Inn CoffeeHouse；〃 under the
bust of the late Duke of W…ll…ngt…n。
〃I fired in the air；〃 he continued； 〃did I not？〃 （Tap； tap； tap。）
〃Your grandfather hit me in the leg。 He married three months
afterwards。 'Captain Brown；' I said 'who could see Miss Sm…th
without loving her？' She is there！ She is there！〃 （Tap； tap；
tap。） 〃Yes； my first love〃
But here there came tap； tap； which everybody knows means 〃No。〃
〃I forgot；〃 he said； with a faint blush stealing over his wan
features； 〃she was not my first love。 In Germin my own country
there WAS a young woman〃
Tap； tap； tap。 There was here quite a lively little treble knock；
and when the old man said； 〃But I loved thee better than all the
world； Eliza；〃 the affirmative signal was briskly repeated。
And this I declare UPON MY HONOR。 There was； I have said； a bottle
of port wine before usI should say a decanter。 That decanter was
LIFTED UP； and out of it into our respective glasses two bumpers of
wine were poured。 I appeal to Mr。 Hart； the landlordI appeal to
James； the respectful and intelligent waiter； if this statement is
not true？ And when we had finished that magnum； and I saidfor I
did not now in the least doubt her presence〃Dear gr…nny； may we
have another magnum？〃 the table DISTINCTLY rapped 〃No。〃。
〃Now； my good sir；〃 Mr。 Pinto said； who really began to be affected
by the wine； 〃you understand the interest I have taken in you。 I
loved Eliza 〃 （of course I don't mention family names）。 〃I
knew you had that box which belonged to herI will give you what
you like for that box。 Name your price at once； and I pay you on
the spot。〃
〃Why； when you came out； you said you had not six…pence in your
pocket。〃
〃Bah！ give you anything you likefiftya hundreda tausend
pound。〃
〃Come； come；〃 said I； 〃the gold of the box may be worth nine
guineas； and the facon we will put at six more。〃
〃One tausend guineas！〃 he screeched。 〃One tausend and fifty pound
dere！〃 and he sank back in his chairno； by the way； on his bench；
for he was sitting with his back to one of the partitions of the
boxes； as I dare say James remembers。
〃DON'T go on in this way；〃 I continued rather weakly； for I did not
know whether I was in a dream。 〃If you offer me a thousand guineas
for this box I MUST take it。 Mustn't I； dear gr…nny？〃
The table most distinctly said 〃Yes〃； and putting out his claws to
seize the box； Mr。 Pinto plunged his hooked nose into it； and
eagerly inhaled some of my 47 with a dash of Hardman。
〃But stay； you old harpy！〃 I exclaimed； being now in a sort of
rage； and quite familiar with him。 〃Where is the money？ Where is
the check？〃
〃James； a piece of note paper and a receipt stamp！〃
〃This is all mighty well； sir；〃 I said； 〃but I don't know you； I
never saw you before。 I will trouble you to hand me that box back
again； or give me a check with some known signature。〃
〃Whose？ Ha； Ha； HA！〃
The room happened to be very dark。 Indeed all the waiters were
gone to supper； and there were only two gentlemen snoring in their
respective boxes。 I saw a hand come quivering down from the
ceilinga very pretty hand； on which was a ring with a coronet；
with a lion rampant gules for a crest。 I saw that hand take a dip
of ink and write across the paper。 Mr。 Pinto； then； taking a gray
receipt stamp out of his blue leather pocketbook； fastened it on to
the paper by the usual process； and the hand then wrote across the
receipt stamp； went across the table and shook hands with Pinto；
and then； as if waving him an adieu； vanished in the direction of
the ceiling。
There was the paper before me； wet with the ink。 There was the pen
which THE HAND had used。 Does anybody doubt me？ I have that pen
now；a cedar stick of a not uncommon sort； and holding one of
Gillott's pens。 It is in my inkstand now； I tell you。 Anybody may
see it。 The handwriting on the check； for such the document was；
was the writing of a female。 It ran thus：〃London； midnight；
March 31； 1862。 Pay the bearer one thousand and fifty pounds。
Rachel Sidonia。 To Messrs。 Sidonia； Pozzosanto and Co。； London。〃
〃Noblest and best of women！〃 said Pinto； kissing the sheet of paper
with much reverence。 〃My good Mr。 Roundabout； I suppose you do not
question THAT signature？〃
Indeed the house of Sidonia； Pozzosanto and Co。； is known to be one
of the richest in Europe； and as for the Countess Rachel； she was
known to be the chief manager of that enormously wealthy
establishment。 There was only one little difficulty； the Countess
Rachel died last October。
I pointed out this circumstance； and tossed over the paper to Pinto
with a sneer。
〃C'est a brandre ou a laisser；〃 he said with some heat。 〃You
literary men are all imbrudent； but I did not tink you such a fool
wie dis。 Your box is not worth twenty pound； and I offer you a
tausend because I know you want money to pay dat rascal Tom's
college bills。〃 （This strange man actually knew that my scapegrace
Tom had been a source of great expense and annoyance to me。） 〃You
see money costs me nothing； and you refuse to take it！ Once；
twice； will you take this check in exchange for your trumpery
snuff…box？〃
What could I do？ My poor granny's legacy was valuable and dear to
me； but after all a thousand guineas are not to be had every day。
〃Be it a bargain；〃 said I。 〃Shall we have a glass of wine on it？〃
says Pinto； and to this proposal I also unwillingly acceded；
reminding him； by the way； that he had not yet told me the story of
the headless man。
〃Your poor gr…ndm…ther was right just now； when she said she was
not my first love