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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。 'Twas one of those banale expressions〃 （here
Mr。 P。 blushed once more） 〃which we use to women。 We tell each she
is our first passion。 They reply with a similar illusory formula。
No man is any woman's first love； no woman any man's。 We are in
love in our nurse's arms； and women coquette with their eyes before
their tongue can form a word。 How could your lovely relative love
me？ I was far； far too old for her。 I am older than I look。 I am
so old that you would not believe my age were I to tell you。 I
have loved many and many a woman before your relative。 It has not
always been fortunate for them to love me。 Ah； Sophronia！ Round
the dreadful circus where you fell； and whence I was dragged
corpselike by the heels； there sat multitudes more savage than the
lions which mangled your sweet form！ Ah； tenez！ when we marched to
the terrible stake together at Valladolidthe Protestant and the
J But away with memory！ Boy！ it was happy for thy grandam that
she loved me not。
〃During that strange period；〃 he went on； 〃when the teeming Time
was great with the revolution that was speedily to be born； I was
on a mission in Paris with my excellent； my maligned friend；
Cagliostro。 Mesmer was one of our band。 I seemed to occupy but an
obscure rank in it： though； as you know； in secret societies the
humble man may be a chief and directorthe ostensible leader but a
puppet moved by unseen hands。 Never mind who was chief； or who was
second。 Never mind my age。 It boots not to tell it： why shall I
expose myself to your scornful incredulityor reply to your
questions in words that are familiar to you； but which you cannot
understand？ Words are symbols of things which you know； or of
things which you don't know。 If you don't know them； to speak is
idle。〃 （Here I confess Mr。 P。 spoke for exactly