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fying glasses and a jeweller's eyepiece lying on a buff scratch pad； beside a cracked yellow silk handkerchief spotted with ink。
In the swivel chair at the desk sat an elderly party in a dark gray suit with high lapels and too many buttons down the front。 He had some stringy white hair that grew long enough to tickle his ears。 A pale gray bald patch loomed high up in the middle of it； like a rock above timberline。 Fuzz grew out of his ears； far enough to catch a moth。
He had sharp black eyes with a pair of pouches under each eye； brownish purple in color and traced with a network of wrinkles and veins。 His cheeks were shiny and his short sharp nose looked as if it had hung over a lot of quick ones in its time。 A Hoover collar which no decent laundry would have allowed on the premises nudged his Adam's apple and a black string tie poked a small hard knot out at the bottom of the collar； like a mouse getting ready to e out of a mousehole。
He said： 〃My young lady had to go to the dentist。 You are Mr。 Marlowe？〃
I nodded。
〃Pray； be seated。〃 He waved a thin hand at the chair across the desk。 I sat down。 〃You have some identification； I presume？〃
I showed it to him。 While he read it I smelled him from across the desk。 He had a sort of dry musty smell； like a fairly clean Chinaman。
He placed my card face down on top of his desk and folded his hands on it。 His sharp black eyes didn't miss anything in my face。
〃Well； Mr。 Marlowe； what can I do for you？〃
〃Tell me about the Brasher Doubloon。〃
〃Ah； yes；〃 he said。 〃The Brasher Doubloon。 An interesting coin。〃 He lifted his hands off the desk and made a steeple of the fingers； like an old time family lawyer getting set for a little tangled grammar。 〃In some ways the most interesting and valuable of all early American coins。 As no doubt you know。〃
〃What I don't know about early American coins you could almost crowd into the Rose Bowl。〃
〃Is that so？〃 he said。 〃Is that so？ Do you want me to tell you？〃
〃What I'm here for； Mr。 Morningstar。〃
〃It is a gold coin； roughly equivalent to a twenty…dollar gold piece； and about the size of a half dollar。 Almost exactly。 It was made for the State of New York in the year 1787。 It was not minted。 There were no mints until 1793； when the first mint was opened in Philadelphia。 The Brasher Doubloon was coined probably by the pressure molding process and its maker was a private goldsmith named Ephraim Brasher； or Brashear。 Where the name survives it is usually spelled Brashear； but not on the coin。 I don't know why。〃
I got a cigarette into my mouth and lit it。 I thought it might do something to the musty smell。 〃What's the pressure molding process？〃
〃The two halves of the mold were engraved in steel； in intaglio； of course。 These halves were then mounted in lead。 Gold blanks were pressed between them in a coin press。 Then the edges were trimmed for weight and smoothed。 The coin was not milled。 There were no milling machines in 1787。〃
〃Kind of a slow process；〃 I said。
He nodded his peaked white head。 〃Quite。 And； since the surface…hardening of steel without distortion could not be acplished at that time； the dies wore and had to be remade from time to time。 With consequent slight variations in design which would be visible under strong magnification。 In fact it would be safe to say no two of the coins would be identical； judged by modern methods of microscopic examination。 Am I clear？〃
〃Yeah；〃 I said。 〃Up to a point。 How many of these coins are there and what are they worth？〃
He undid the steeple of fingers and put his hands back on the desk top and patted them gently up and down。
〃I don't know how many there are。 Nobody knows。 A few hundred； a thousand； perhaps more。 But of these very few indeed are uncirculated specimens in what is called mint condition。 The value varies from a couple of thousand on up。 I should say that at the present time； since the devaluation of the dollar； an uncirculated specimen； carefully handled by a reputable dealer； might easily bring ten thousand dollars； or even more。 It would have to have a history； of course。〃
I said： 〃Ah；〃 and let smoke out of my lungs slowly and waved it away with the flat of my hand； away from the old party across the desk from me。 He looked like a non…smoker。 〃And without a history and not so carefully handledhow much？〃
He shrugged。 〃There would be the implication that the coin was illegally acquired。 Stolen； or obtained by fraud。 Of course it might not be so。 Rare coins do turn up in odd places at odd times。 In old strong boxes； in the secret drawers of desks in old New England houses。 Not often； I grant you。 But it happens。 I know of a very valuable coin that fell out of the stuffing of a horsehair sofa which was being restored by an antique dealer。 The sofa had been in the same room in the same house in Fall River； Massachusetts； for ninety years。 Nobody knew how the coin got there。 But generally speaking； the implication of theft would be strong。 Particularly in this part of the country。〃
He looked at the corner of the ceiling with an absent stare。 I looked at him with a not so absent stare。 He looked like a man who could be trusted with a secretif it was his own secret。
He brought his eyes down to my level slowly and said： 〃Five dollars； please。〃
I said： 〃Huh？〃
〃Five dollars； please。〃
〃What for？〃
〃Don't be absurd； Mr。 Marlowe。 Everything I have told you is available in the public library。 In Fosdyke's Register； in particular。 You choose to e here and take up my time relating it to you。 For this my charge is five dollars。〃
〃And suppose I don't pay it；〃 I said。
He leaned back and closed his eyes。 A very faint smile twitched at the corners of his lips。 〃You will pay it；〃 he said。
I paid it。 I took the five out of my wallet and got up to lean over the desk and spread it out right in front of him； carefully。 I stroked the bill with my fingertips； as if it was a kitten。
〃Five dollars； Mr。 Morningstar；〃 I said。
He opened his eyes and looked at the bill。 He smiled。
〃And now；〃 I said； 〃let's talk about the Brasher Doubloon that somebody tried to sell you。〃
He opened his eyes a little wider。 〃Oh； did somebody try to sell me a Brasher Doubloon？ Now why would they do that？〃
〃They needed the money；〃 I said。 〃And they didn't want too many questions asked。 They knew or found out that you were in the business and that the building where you had your office was a shabby dump where anything could happen。 They knew your office was at the end of a corridor and that you were an elderly man who would probably not make any false movesout of regard for your health。〃
〃They seem to have known a great deal；〃 Elisha Morningstar said dryly。
〃They knew what they had to know in order to transact their business。 Just like you and me。 And none of it was hard to find out。〃
He stuck his little finger in his ear and worked it around and brought it out with a little dark wax on it。 He wiped it off casually on his coat。
〃And you assume all this from the mere fact that I called up Mrs。 Murdock and asked if her Brasher Doubloon was for sale？〃
〃Sure。 She had the same idea herself。 It's reasonable。 Like I said over the phone to you； you would know that coin was not for sale。 If you knew anything about the business at all。 And I can see that you do。〃
He bowed； about one inch。 He didn't quite smile but he looked about as pleased as a man in a Hoover collar ever looks。
〃You would be offered this coin for sale；〃 I said； 〃in suspicious circumstances。 You would want to buy it； if you could get it cheap and had the money to handle it。 But you would want to know where it came from。 And even if you were quite sure it was stolen； you could still buy it； if you could get it cheap enough。〃
〃Oh； I could； could I？〃 He looked amused； but not in a large way。
〃Sure you couldif you are a reputable dealer。 I'll assume you are。 By buying the coincheapyou would be protecting the owner or his insurance carrier from plete loss。 They'd be glad to pay you back your outlay。 It's done all the time。〃
〃Then the Murdock Brasher has been stolen；〃 he said abruptly。 〃Don't quote me；〃 I said。 〃It's a secret。〃
He almost picked his nose this time。 He just caught himself。 He picked a hair out of one nostril instead； with a quick jerk and a wince。 He held it up and looked at it。 Looking at me past it he said：
〃And how much will your principal pay for the return of the coin？〃
I leaned over the desk and gave him my shady leer。 〃One grand。 What did you pay？〃
〃I think you are a very smart young man；〃 he said。 Then he screwed his face up and his chin wobbled and his chest began to bounce in and out and a sound came out of him like a convalescent rooster learning to crow again after a long illness。
He was laughing。
It stopped after a while。 His face came all smooth again and his eyes； opened； black and sharp and shrewd。
〃Eight hundred dollars；〃 he said。 〃Eight hundred dollars for an uncirculated specimen of the Brasher Doubloon。〃 He chortled。
〃Fine。 Got it with you？ That leaves you two hundred。 Fair enough。 A quick turnover； a reasonable profit and no trouble for anybody。〃
〃It is