I laid my hand on my heart, and made a solemn asseveration that I would not divulge her secret. I need not, however, have troubled myself much on that head, for as I walked up stairs, keeping my eye upon the precious trunk, Mr. Greene addressed me. “You are an Englishman, Mr. Robinson,” said he. I acknowledged that I was. “I am another. My wife, however, is Irish. My daughter,—by a former marriage,—is English also. You see that box there.” “Oh, yes,” said I, “I see it.” I began to be so fascinated by the box that I could not keep my eyes off it. “I don’t know whether or no it is prudent, but I keep all my money there; my money for travelling, I mean.” “If I were you, then,” I answered, “I would not say anything about it to any one.” “Oh, no, of course not,” said he; “I should not think of mentioning it. But those brigands in Italy always take away what you have about your person, but they don’t meddle with the heavy luggage.” “Bills of exchange, or circular notes,” I suggested. “Ah, yes; and if you can’t identify yourself, or happen to have a headache, you can’t get them changed. I asked an old friend of mine, who has been connected with the Bank of England for the last fifty years, and he assured me that there was nothing like sovereigns.” “But you never get the value for them.” “Well, not quite. One loses a franc, or a franc and a half. But still, there’s the certainty, and that’s the great matter. An English sovereign will go anywhere,” and he spoke these words with considerable triumph. “Undoubtedly, if you consent to lose a shilling on each sovereign.” “At any rate, I have got three hundred and fifty in that box,” he said. “I have them done up in rolls of twenty-five pounds each.” I again recommended him to keep this arrangement of his as private as possible,—a piece of counsel which I confess seemed to me to be much needed,—and then I went away to my own room, having first accepted an invitation from Mrs. Greene to join their party at dinner. “Do,” said she; “we have been so dull, and it will be so pleasant.” I did not require to be much pressed to join myself to a party in which there was so pretty a girl as Miss Greene, and so attractive a woman as Mrs. Greene. I therefore accepted the invitation readily, and went away to make my toilet. As I did so I passed the door of Mr. Greene’s room, and saw the long file of boxes being borne into the centre of it.