"Only two, sir, please, as I can remember, since he came here."
"By po-sht, or by ha-a-an'?" inquired Goldshed.
"By 'and, sir, please; it was your Mr. Solomons as fetched 'em here, sir."
He lifted up the desk, swayed it gently, and shook it a little, looking at it as if it were a musical box about to strike up, and so set it down again softly. "There'sh papersh in that box," he hummed thoughtfully to himself.
"I think I may speak here," said Mr. Larkin, looking up sadly and loftily, as he placed his hat upon his bald head, "with some little authority as a professional man—if in no higher capacity—and I may take upon myself to say, that by no possibility can the contents of that desk affect the very simple and, in a certain sense, direct transactions in which our clients' interests, and in a degree ours also, are involved, and I object on higher grounds still, I hope, to any irregularity as respects that desk."
"If you're confident, Mr. Larkinsh, there'sh nothing in it can affect the bushiness we're on, I would not give you a cancel' Queen's head for the lot."
"Perfectly confident, my dear Mr. Goldshed."
"He'sh perfectly confident," repeated Mr. Levi in his guv'nor's ear, from over his shoulder.
"Come along then," said Mr. Goldshed, shuffling slowly out of the room, with his hands in his pockets.
"It's agreed then, gentlemen, there's no tampering with the desk?" urged Mr. Larkin, entreatingly.