"Indeed, then, and I'm nae sic a fule! I'll na leave it with you at a'. If you canna mak it gae just gie it till me," she said.
Now Mr. North did not wish his customer to leave his shop yet a while. The truth was that photographs of the late Sir Lemuel Levison's watch and snuff-box, in the possession of his legal steward, had been copied and the copies distributed by London directory to every jeweller in the city, as a means of discovering the stolen property, and finally detecting the criminals.
Messrs. North and Simms had received a copy of each.
And when Rose presented the rich watch to be repaired, Mr. North had at first suspected and then identified the article as the missing watch of the late Sir Lemuel Levison. And he had locked it in the drawer with the photographs, and dispatched a messenger to the nearest police station for an officer.
His object now was to detain Rose Cameron until the arrival of that officer.
"Will you look at something in my line this morning, Miss?" he inquired.
"Na. Gi'e me my watch, and I will gae my ways home," she answered.
"I have a set of diamonds here that once belonged to the Empress Josephine. They are very magnificent. Would you not like to see them?"
"Ou, ay! an empress's diamonds? ay, indeed I wad!" cried the poor fool, vivaciously.
Mr. North drew from his glass case a casket containing a fine set of brilliants, which probably the Empress Josephine had never even heard of, and displayed it before the wondering eyes of the Highland lass.