"I want you to do that," smiled Philip, who was slightly nonplused by the prefix to his name, heard by him for the first time. "Oh, if you leave it with me it will be quite safe." "I cannot leave all, but certainly I will not spend five thousand pounds in a week. I mean to buy some property, though, and--can I have a hundred now?" "By all means." Philip wrote his first check and received twenty crisp five-pound notes. Isaacstein stood by, smiling grimly. He had not yet got over the farcical side of this extraordinary occurrence, and he was wondering what the bank manager would have said could he but see Philip as he, Isaacstein, saw him no later than the previous day. "By the way," said Philip, whose heart was beating a little now, "suppose I wish to give a reference to anybody, will you two gentlemen answer for me?" "The bank wall always say whether or not your check will be honored to a stated amount. In other respects, Mr. Isaacstein, who brought you here, will serve your purpose admirably--none better in the city of London," replied the banker. Isaacstein placed both feet together and his head sank between his shoulders. He again reminded Philip of a top. The boy fancied that in a second or two he would begin to spin and purr. The bank manager's statement flattered the little man. It was the sort of thing he understood. Philip privately resolved to make this human top wobble when alone with him in the street again. "One more question, and I have ended," he said. "Where is the best place to store some valuables?" "It all depends on their nature. What are they? Plate, jewels, paper----" The Jew's ears were alert now, and the boy smiled faintly. "Oh," he explained, "I have a very large quantity of rich ore which I wish to lodge in some place where it will be secure and yet easy of access." "I would recommend you to rent a strong-room in the safe deposit across the street. There you have absolute security and quick access during business hours." Philip expressed his thanks and quitted the bank with his agent. In the middle of Holborn, in the midst of the jostling, hurrying occupants of one of the busiest thoroughfares in London, he pulled the giant diamond out of his pocket and suddenly held it under the Jew's nose. "I told you I had them as big as hen's eggs," he cried. "What do you think of this one?" Isaacstein glanced at it for one fascinated second. Then he looked around with the stealthy air of a man who fears lest he may be detected in the commission of a terrible crime. "Are you mad?" he whispered. "No, not mad," answered Philip, coolly, as he pocketed the gem. "I only wanted you to wobble." "You wanted me to wobble!" "Yes. You look so like a big top at times. When do we meet again, Mr. Isaacstein?" "You are not going away by yourself with that stone in your pocket?"