He dangled the thing lightly in his hand. All the tricks of the trade, all that which had made him the rich old man what he was, rushed quickly through his brain, and yet he looked again at Annie Brooke. For the life of her, Annie could not keep the eagerness out of her eyes. "Is it a bargain, or is it not?" she said. "Have I been fooled about it?" "Will you tell me in strict confidence what you gave for it?" he asked. Annie had hoped he would not put this question to her. "I was a little mad, I think," she said. "I gave my all for it." "That tells me nothing. What is your all?" "Forty pounds," she said in a choked sort of voice. "Were you not rather unwise to part with your last penny?" "You don't understand," said Annie, who, having at last declared a part of the truth, felt better able to go on. "I have studied pearls a great deal; and Uncle Maurice, dear Uncle Maurice, has taught me their true value and something of their history, and I guessed that this was really cheap, and thought I could sell it for more." "By Jove!" said Mr Manchuri, "you are the sharpest girl I ever saw. How old are you?" "Seventeen," said Annie. "God help the man who marries you!" said Mr Manchuri under his breath. "What did you say?" asked Annie. "Nothing, nothing, my dear. Of course I admire your cleverness. Well, you have come to the right person. I will give you one hundred pounds for this necklace; there, now." "And you won't say anything about it?" said Annie, who felt at once faint and delighted, overpowered with joy, and yet subdued by an awful weight of apprehension. "Nothing to any one in this hotel. But the thing is a curio, and I shall probably sell it for double what I give you. I do not conceal anything from you. Miss Annie Brooke. You might try for ever, and you would find it difficult to get your forty pounds back. But I, who am in the trade, am in a different position. Had I gone to Zick before you, I would have probably bought the thing for thirty pounds and thought no shame to myself for doing so. But I won't cheat a young lady, particularly such a very clever young lady, and you shall have your hundred pounds at once. Here; I have notes on my person. You would prefer them to a cheque?" "Oh yes, please!" Annie trembled with joy. Mr Manchuri counted out ten ten-pound notes, and Annie gave him the quaint pearl necklace. She then lingered a little longer trying to talk on indifferent matters, but her interest in the old Jew was gone, and, as a matter of fact, she did not want to see him any more. As to the old man himself, he felt that he hated her; but he was glad to have made a good stroke of business, although he was very rich. That was always worth something. He would in all probability clear one hundred and fifty pounds on the necklace, which would more than pay for his trip abroad and for the benefit he had derived from the air of the Swiss mountains.