When Mr. Levi had lighted a second candle, he fixed his great black eyes on the young baronet, who glances over his shoulder at the door, but the Jew has secured it. Their eyes meet for a moment, and Sir Richard places his hand nervously in his breast-pocket and takes out the parchment. Levi nods and extends his hand. Each now holds it by a corner, and as Sir Richard lets it go hesitatingly, he says faintly-- "Levi, you wouldn't--you could not run any risk with that?" Levi stands by his great iron safe, with the big key in his hand. He nods in reply, and locking up the document, he knocks his knuckles on the iron door, with a long and solemn wink. "_Sha-afe!_--that'sh the word," says he, and then he drops the keys into his pocket again. There was a silence of a minute or more. A spell was stealing over them; an influence was in the room. Each eyed the other, shrinkingly, as a man might eye an assassin. The Jew knew that there was danger in that silence; and yet he could not break it. He could not disturb the influence acting on Richard Arden's mind. It was his good angel's last pleading, before the long farewell. In a dreadful whisper Richard Arden speaks:-- "Give me that parchment back," says he. Satan finds his tongue again. "Give it back?" repeats Levi, and a pause ensues. "Of course I'll give it back; and I wash my hands of it and you, and you're throwing away ten thoushand poundsh for _nothing_." Levi was taking out his keys as he spoke, and as he fumbled them over one by one, he said-- "You'll want a lawyer in the Insholwent Court, and you'd find Mishter Sholomonsh azh shatisfactory a shengleman azh any in London. He'sh an auctioneer, too; and there'sh no good in your meetin' that friendly cove here to-morrow, for he'sh one o' them honourable chaps, and he'll never look at you after your schedule's lodged, and the shooner that'sh done the better; and them women we was courting, won't they laugh!" Hereupon, with great alacrity, Mr. Levi began to apply the key to the lock. "Don't mind. Keep it; and mind, you d----d little swindler, so sure as you stand there, if you play me a trick, I'll blow your brains out, if it were in the police-office!" Mr. Levi looked hard at him, and nodded. He was accustomed to excited language in certain situations. "Well," said he coolly, a second time returning the keys to his pocket, "your friend will be here at twelve to-morrow, and if you please him as well as he expects, who knows wha-at may be? If he leavesh you half hish money, you'll not 'ave many bill transhactionsh on your handsh." "May God Almighty have mercy on me!" groans Sir Richard, hardly above his breath. "You shall have the cheques then. He'll be here all right." "I--I forget; did you say an hour?" Levi repeats the hour. Sir Richard walks slowly to the stairs, down which Levi lights him. Neither speaks.