The man looked up and down the street, and then he put his ’ead near them and whispered. “Eh?” ses Sam’s pal. “Something I picked up,” ses the man, still a-whispering. Sam got a pinch on the arm from ’is pal that nearly made him scream, then they both stood still, staring at the docker. “Wot is it?” ses Sam, at last. The docker looked over his shoulder agin, and then ’e put his ’and in his trouser-pocket and just showed ’em a big, fat gold locket with diamonds stuck all over it. Then he shoved it back in ’is pocket, while Sam’s pal was giving ’im a pinch worse than wot the other was. “It’s the one,” he ses, in a whisper. “Let’s ’ave another look at it,” he ses to the docker. The man fished it out of his pocket agin, and held on to it tight while they looked at it. “Where did you find it?” ses Sam. “Found it over there, just by the Mint,” ses the man, pointing. [Illustration: “Found it over there, just by the Mint,” ses the man, pointing.] “Wot d’ye want for it?” ses Sam’s pal. “As much as I can get,” ses the man. “I don’t quite know ’ow much it’s worth, that’s the worst of it. Wot d’ye say to twenty pounds, and chance it?” Sam laughed—the sort of laugh a pal ’ad once give him a black eye for. “Twenty pounds!” he ses; “twenty pounds! ’Ave you gorn out of your mind, or wot? I’ll give you a couple of quid for it.” “Well, it’s all right, captin,” ses the man, “there’s no ’arm done. I’ll try somebody else—or p’r’aps there’ll be a big reward for it. I don’t believe it was bought for a ’undred pounds.” He was just sheering off when Sam’s pal caught ’im by the arm and asked him to let ’im have another look at it. Then he came back to Sam and led ’im a little way off, whispering to ’im that it was the chance of a lifetime. “And if you prefer to keep it for a little while and then sell it, instead of getting the reward for it, I dare say it would be worth a hundred pounds to you,” ’e ses. “I ain’t got twenty pounds,” ses Sam. “’Ow much ’ave you got?” ses his pal. Sam felt in ’is pockets, and the docker came up and stood watching while he counted it. Altogether it was nine pounds fourteen shillings and tuppence. “P’r’aps you’ve got some more at ’ome,” ses his pal. “Not a farthing,” ses Sam, which was true as far as the farthing went. “Or p’r’aps you could borrer some,” ses his pal, in a soft, kind voice. “I’d lend it to you with pleasure, on’y I haven’t got it with me.” Sam shook his ’ead, and at last, arter the docker ’ad said he wouldn’t let it go for less than twenty, even to save ’is life, he let it go for the nine pounds odd, a silver watch-chain, two cigars wot Sam ’ad been sitting on by mistake, and a sheath-knife. “Shove it in your pocket and don’t let a soul see it,” ses the man, handing over the locket. “I might as well give it away a’most. But it can’t be ’elped.”