"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.