“You had better give that little piece of property back to me,” went on El-Râmi, coldly smiling,--and, stepping close up to his assailant, he undid the closed fingers one by one, and, removing the watch, restored it to his own pocket. The thief’s arm at the same moment fell limply at his side; but he remained where he was, trembling violently as though seized with a sudden ague-fit. “You would find it an inconvenient thing to have about you, I assure you. Stolen goods are always more or less of a bore, I believe. You seem rather discomposed? Ah! you have had a little shock, that’s all. You’ve heard of torpedoes, I dare say? Well, in this scientific age of ours, there are human torpedoes going about; and I am one of them. It is necessary to be careful whom you touch nowadays,--it really is, you know! You will be better presently--take time!” He spoke banteringly, observing the thief meanwhile with the most curious air, as though he were some peculiar specimen of beetle or frog. The wretched man’s features worked convulsively, and he made a gesture of appeal: “You won’t ’ave me took up?” he muttered hoarsely, “I’m starvin’!” “No, no!” said El-Râmi persuasively--“you are nothing of the sort. Do not tell lies, my friend; that is a great mistake--as great a mistake as thieving. Both things, as you practise them, will put you to no end of trouble,--and to avoid trouble is the chief aim of modern life. You are not starving--you are as plump as a rabbit,”--and, with a dexterous touch, he threw up the man’s loose shirt-sleeve, and displayed the full, firm flesh of the strong and sinewy arm beneath. “You have had more meat in you to-day than I can manage in a week; you will do very well. You are a professional thief,--a sort of--lawyer, shall we say? Only, instead of protesting the right you have to live, politely by means of documents and red tape, you assert it roughly by stealing a watch. It’s very frank conduct,--but it is not civil; and, in the present state of ethics, it doesn’t pay--it really doesn’t. I’m afraid I’m boring you! You feel better? Then--good evening!” He was about to resume his walk, when the now recovered rough took a hasty step towards him. “I wanted to knock ye down!” he began. “I know you did,”--returned El-Râmi composedly. “Well--would you like to try again?” The man stared at him, half in amazement, half in fear. “Ye see,” he went on, “ye pulled out yer watch, and it was all jools and sparkles----” “And it was a glittering temptation”--finished El-Râmi. “I see! I had no business to pull it out; I grant it; but, being pulled out, you had no business to want it. We were both wrong; let us both endeavour to be wiser in future. Good-night!” “Well, I’m blowed if yer not a rum un, and an orful un!” ejaculated the man, who had certainly received a fright, and was still nervous from the effects of it. “Blowed if he ain’t the rummest card!”