“I would not propose to you,” continued Sir Arthur, “to oblige me thus far, if I did not possess actual proofs of the reality of those expectations which I now hold out to you. And I assure you, Mr. Oldbuck, that in entering fully upon this topic, it is my purpose to show my confidence in you, and my sense of your kindness on many former occasions.” Mr. Oldbuck professed his sense of obligation, but carefully avoided committing himself by any promise of farther assistance. “Mr. Dousterswivel,” said Sir Arthur, “having discovered”-- Here Oldbuck broke in, his eyes sparkling with indignation. “Sir Arthur, I have so often warned you of the knavery of that rascally quack, that I really wonder you should quote him to me.” “But listen--listen,” interrupted Sir Arthur in his turn, “it will do you no harm. In short, Dousterswivel persuaded me to witness an experiment which he had made in the ruins of St. Ruth--and what do you think we found?” “Another spring of water, I suppose, of which the rogue had beforehand taken care to ascertain the situation and source.” “No, indeed--a casket of gold and silver coins--here they are.” With that, Sir Arthur drew from his pocket a large ram’s horn, with a copper cover, containing a considerable quantity of coins, chiefly silver, but with a few gold pieces intermixed. The Antiquary’s eyes glistened as he eagerly spread them out on the table. “Upon my word--Scotch, English, and foreign coins, of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and some of them rari--et rariores--etiam rarissimi! Here is the bonnet-piece of James V., the unicorn of James II.,--ay, and the gold festoon of Queen Mary, with her head and the Dauphin’s. And these were really found in the ruins of St. Ruth?” “Most assuredly--my own eyes witnessed it.” “Well,” replied Oldbuck; “but you must tell me the when--the where-the how.” “The when,” answered Sir Arthur, “was at midnight the last full moon--the where, as I have told you, in the ruins of St. Ruth’s priory--the how, was by a nocturnal experiment of Dousterswivel, accompanied only by myself.” “Indeed!” said Oldbuck; “and what means of discovery did you employ?” “Only a simple suffumigation,” said the Baronet, “accompanied by availing ourselves of the suitable planetary hour.” “Simple suffumigation? simple nonsensification--planetary hour? planetary fiddlestick! Sapiens dominabitur astris. My dear Sir Arthur, that fellow has made a gull of you above ground and under ground, and he would have made a gull of you in the air too, if he had been by when you was craned up the devil’s turnpike yonder at Halket-head--to be sure the transformation would have been then peculiarly apropos.” “Well, Mr. Oldbuck, I am obliged to you for your indifferent opinion of my discernment; but I think you will give me credit for having seen what I say I saw.”