“Merciful heavens!” the old man whined once more.
“Now, none of that! Yes or no? If you are going to buy, say so at once; if not, I shall shut up shop.”
Hakkabut knew well enough that the orderly was not a man to be trifled with, and said, in a tremulous voice, “Yes, I will buy.”
The professor, who had been looking on with much interest, betrayed manifest symptoms of satisfaction.
“How much do you want? What will you charge for it?” asked Isaac, mournfully, putting his hand into his pocket and chinking his money.
“Oh, we will deal gently with you. We will not make any profit. You shall have it for the same price that we paid for it. Ten francs a pound, you know.”
The Jew hesitated.
“Come now, what is the use of your hesitating? Your gold will have no value when you go back to the world.”
“What do you mean?” asked Hakkabut, startled.
“You will find out some day,” answered Ben Zoof, significantly.