"No whistling there!" cried the warder, peremptorily, for the "old hand" had not been able to repress an expression of emotion at this announcement. He looked at Richard with an air of self-complacency, such as a gentleman of the middle classes exhibits on suddenly discovering that he has been in familiar converse with a person of title, or a small trader on being brought into unexpected connection with a merchant prince. The gigantic character of the "operation" had invested this young man with an increased interest in the stranger's eye.
"That's a great beginning," said he, admiringly, "and could scarcely have happened with a poor devil like me. One requires to be born a gentleman to have such opportunities. Now, I don't mind telling you" here he sank his voice to a whisper, and looked cautiously about him, "that I was forty years of age before I ever got such a haul as yours. I've done better since, but it's been up-hill work, for all that."
"It doesn't seem to have been very hard work," said Richard, with a meaning glance at the other's hand.
"Well, no, I can't say as it's been hard; a neat touch is what is wanted in my profession."
"Why, you're not a pick—" Richard hesitated from motives of delicacy.
"A pickpocket? Well, I hope not, Sir, indeed," interrupted the other, indignantly.
"Then what are you?" said Richard, bluntly.
As a coy maiden blushes and hangs her head in silence when asked the question which she is yet both proud and pleased to answer in the affirmative, so did Mr. Robert Balfour (for such was the name of our new acquaintance) pause and in graceful confusion rub his stubble chin with his closed fist ere he replied: "Well, the fact is, I have been in the gold and precious stone line these thirty years, and never in the provinces until this present summer, when I came down here, as a Yankee pal of mine once put it, 'to open a little jewelry store.'"
"With a crowbar?" suggested Richard, with a faint smile.
"Just so," said the other, nodding; "and it so happened that yours truly, Bob Balfour, was caught in the very act."