“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.”