“It matters nothing,” replied I, “be he never so vigilant, ’twill be easy enough to get this same shamois leather purse into our hands, without exposing yourself to the danger you are willing to rashly to incur. In good faith, gentlemen, if you know no better than this, you are as yet but apprentices to your trade. I will shew you a genius superior to that of many besides you. I will take upon myself, if it so please you, the charge of conducting this enterprise, and without implicating you in any misfortune that may happen to me in consequence; even though fortune be adverse to me, I will answer for the thousand pistoles, provided they remain in the strong box eight days longer.” Sayavedra and his friend laughed heartily at this speech, at which they were almost as much delighted as if the pistoles were already in their hands. They thanked me for the offer, and readily left the conducting of this affair to me; well persuaded, particularly Sayavedra, that I should not talk in this strain without being well assured of the event. “Give yourselves no further trouble about it then, gentlemen,” added I, “you shall see that one who has been a page five or six years is somewhat wiser than a Roman bandit.” This hit at Sayavedra redoubled their mirth, and we were all very merry together. I then proceeded to question this confidential clerk of the banker’s more particularly.
“By what means,” said I, “did you intend to get the purse out of the strong box; you have not the key of it?” “Certainly not,” replied he, “for my patron will trust it to nobody. He occasionally gives it to me when I happen to be with him in his private room, and some person happens to come in, when he is himself engaged, for the payment of a bill. He throws me the key to take out a bag of which he tells me the number, and while I am counting the money, he keeps one eye on what he is writing and the other on me.” “This being the case,” continued I, “it would be very difficult to take an impression of the key.” “Much less so, perhaps, than you imagine,” answered Aguilera. “I have, God be praised, a pretty dexterous hand, and will undertake to bring you the impression of it; and also, if you think proper, that of the press, in which the banker locks up his account-books and his daily cash.” At these words, which delighted me, I told him that if he could procure both the impressions, we should be much more sure of success.
I did not forget to ascertain the situation of the room; the manner in which the bags were tied up; their marks; in fact every particular that I considered necessary, of which I wrote down a circumstantial account. I then sent Aguilera home to his master, telling him that I would give him timely notice of the part he would have to play. After his departure, I told my confidant that I had put his friend to a difficult trial, and that I doubted much whether he would procure the impressions of the keys. But Sayavedra, who had a better opinion of his talents, thought otherwise, and he was certainly right. Within two days after Aguilera kept his word, and informed me, also, where I might find a locksmith who would make me two false keys, provided I paid him handsomely. “I have but one more question to ask you,” said I, “at what hour is your master to be seen? for bankers are generally particular.” Aguilera answered, “that the best time was between ten o’clock and noon.” “Good,” said I, “return home then, and remember well what I now tell you: I shall not fail to be at the banker’s house by ten o’clock to-morrow morning; arrange it so that you be with him at that time, and be sure you lose not a word of my conversation with him, in order that you may be brought forward as a witness, if necessary.”
Every thing being so far arranged, I carried the impressions to the honest locksmith I had been recommended to, and whom I found in reality the man for my business. He promised to make me two keys immediately for two pistoles, one of which I paid him in advance. On my return to my inn, I espied in a shop window a very neat sort of jewel box, which after having carefully examined, I bought. Sayavedra who accompanied me, appeared somewhat surprised at this purchase. I could not resist laughing at his astonishment: “Friend,” said I, “be assured that this little casket will not be without its use.” “I do not doubt it,” answered he smiling; “you have not made a fool’s bargain. You doubtless know the use you intend to put it to, and I leave that as well as every thing else to your superior judgment.”
I went the next morning at ten precisely to the banker’s counting-house. Aguilera was there, and two or three gentlemen on business. I bowed to the master on entering the room, and addressing him in a loud voice, told him that I was come to Milan with the intention of making some purchases previously to my marriage: that I had brought a considerable sum of money which I should be glad to place in safety, and that instead of leaving it at my inn where there were all sorts of people, I had thought it much better to trust it to a man like him, whose probity I had heard much commended: I added, that I had a short voyage to take to Venice which would oblige me to have a credit from his house. The banker, greedy of gain, made me a thousand offers of service, accompanied by the most profound bows, and asked me the amount of the sum I wished to deposit in his hands. I answered, about twelve thousand franks of gold, and a small bag of silver specie, which I would send him in about an hour. He replied that my time was his: then reaching down his day-book from the press, he enquired my name, which I gave him as Don Juan Osorio. This he immediately wrote down, with the date of the day and month, the better to ensure my keeping my word.
After this, having no further business with him at that time, I took my leave, after a thousand mutual compliments, entreating him not to leave his house until my return. I reached home well satisfied with the happy commencement of my scheme. Sayavedra, who was waiting for me, with the more impatience, as he was more interested in the business than I was, was not a little astonished, when I informed him what I had just done. “But, sir,” said he, “pray where do you intend to get these twelve thousand franks which you have promised to carry to the banker’s? I am at a loss to know this.” “That need not give you the least uneasiness,” answered I, “he has them already. I know well enough that this is Hebrew to you, but I have my reasons. Press me no more on this point at present, but tell me whether your friend Aguilera reckons among his talents that of being able to forge writing.” “Forge!” cried he with transport, “he can counterfeit any one’s hand; it is his fort. Would to heaven that I had only the money he has touched by such means! if he had not excelled in that art, he would still have been at Rome; but he was obliged to decamp thence somewhat abruptly, for fear of falling into the hands of a brute of a merchant, who, having discovered that he had forged his signature, was in pursuit of him.” “This being the case,” replied I, “our enterprise must infallibly succeed.”
The reliance that Sayavedra placed in my skill, prevented his doubting the success I assured him of, though he knew nothing of my plans. All that vexed him was, that I had allotted no part in the performance to him, of which he complained to me, asking if he was to be dumb in the comedy. “Never fear,” said I, “I have reserved a character for you, which you will perform to admiration.” At the same time I ordered him to take under his arm the casket I had purchased and filled with lumps of lead. In addition to this I loaded him with a bag of money, bound round with red ribbon, and stained with ink in the middle, because, as well as I could remember, there was one exactly similar to it in the strong box. We left our chamber together, as if with the intention of carrying all this to the banker’s. Having got into the street, I said to my confidant, return for one moment into the kitchen, under pretence of asking our landlord what hour we shall dine, and what he intends for our dinner. In short, take care that his wife and he cannot fail to observe the casket with curiosity and attention. It is very essential to us that they should both take particular notice of it before you rejoin me.
No man in the world could be better adapted than Sayavedra, to acquit himself well on such a commission. He went into the kitchen, where, after having asked the landlord the question I had desired him, he displayed without ceremony the casket and bag of money. The landlord and landlady immediately fixed their eyes on them: the casket, especially, was so much admired by the wife, that she could not resist requesting to be allowed to examine it more closely. Her husband did the same, and exclaimed, “Good God, how heavy it is!” “It may well be so,” said Sayavedra, “since it is full of gold coin, to the amount of twelve thousand franks, which we are now going to deposit in a banker’s hands.” “At a banker’s!” cried the landlord abruptly, “though they contained above a hundred thousand franks, both that casket and bag would be as much in safety at my house as at the richest banker’s in the town.” The landlady, as ticklish as her husband on points of honour, added: “Yes, we have occasionally deposits of value left with us; and, thank God and the Virgin Mary, we have always taken good care of them.” “I doubt it not in the least,” replied Sayavedra. “Were you not considered honest people, my master would never have come to lodge with you with so much money. Think not then that he has a bad opinion of your house; but, the fact is, that he is on the point of setting out for Venice, and having occasion for a letter of credit to that city, we are in fairness bound to leave these twelve thousand franks with the banker who will supply him with one.”
“That alters the case,” replied the host, appeased; “I have nothing more to say to it. What is the banker’s name?” “Plati,” replied my confidant. “Plague on him,” continued the landlord, “he is as rich as Crœsus, but a very Jew. He will make you pay handsomely for your confidence, I can tell you. If you had only said one word to me, I could have recommended you to a much more reasonable house.” “It is too late now,” said Sayavedra; “my master has already agreed with this banker. But think not,” continued he, “that I can gossip much longer with you, for my master is waiting for me. I merely came into the kitchen to ascertain whether we should have time to settle our business before dinner.” The landlord begged that we would not hurry ourselves, and hoped that we should always find him ready to accommodate us in any way while in his house.
My confidant having repeated this conversation to me, we took a walk together quite out of the town. We returned after some time to the inn, where Sayavedra, by my desire, entered without being observed, and replaced both the casket and bag in my chamber. The table was not yet laid, the landlord, out of respect to me, having kept back the dinner, which was served up immediately he was told of my arrival. Having dined, I retired into my chamber and sent for the landlord, who immediately came up, begging to know in what he could serve me. I have a complaint to make against you, said I; how could you think me capable of suspecting so honourable a man as you? To convince you of the injustice you do me, I entreat you to take care of this purse containing a hundred pistoles, until my departure for Venice. So saying, I drew from my pocket a perfumed purse containing that sum exactly. He was so sensible of this mark of confidence, that he could scarcely restrain his joy.