"I am much indebted to you," he said in a rather small voice, "I had not thought of that, and there is much in what you say."
"Of course, if you care to risk it," hazarded the Chevalier, "I will accompany you to a goldsmith's with pleasure. But, willing as I am to help, I could not honestly say that I had independent knowledge as so how you came by these jewels, or swear to it that I had known you for more than a day; since if further inquiry were made I should soon be in a trouble myself for perjury."
"Yes, I fully appreciate that," said Roger thoughtfully, but a new idea had come to him and he went on with some diffidence: "My father needs this money with some urgency, though, and I am most loath to return to England without it. Would you—would it be asking too much of you to sell the stuff for me? I give you my solemn word of honour that it was come by honestly, and is mine to dispose of as I think fit. You are a grown man and well known in Le Havre, so the goldsmith would never question your right to dispose of such goods."
The Chevalier considered for a moment. "Yes, it could be done that way," he said slowly. "Maitre Blasieur knows me well, and we have oft done far larger deals together."
"Please!" Roger urged. "Please help me in this and I'll be eternally grateful to you."
De Roubec smiled at him. "I believe you have a greater interest in this matter than you pretend?"
Roger coloured slightly. "Well, as a fact, my father promised me a portion of the proceeds of the deal if I showed my capabilities by handling it with credit. 'Tis in a way a test, too, as to if he will or no henceforth regard me as an equal and allow me to manage his affairs While he is away at sea."
"In that case I can scarce bring myself to disoblige you."
"This is stupendous!" Roger laughed again, now once more confident of success. "Let us lose no time but start at once and get the matter over."
"A moment, I beg." De Roubec raised his hand. " 'Twill not appear to Maitre Blasieur that 'tis I who am the seller if the goods for sale are produced by you, one by one, out of your pockets. I fear you will have to trust me with them for a short time at the least."
Roger's hesitation was barely perceptible. He was most strongly averse to parting with his treasure, and he had not known De Roubec long enough to place complete faith in him. Yet it seemed clear that he must accept this risk or offend the Chevalier and say goodbye to any hope of this deal on account of which he had been to such pains in getting to France.
"I fully appreciate that," he agreed, wondering at the same time how he could manage to keep a safety line on his property. "How would you suggest that we arrange the matter?"
"Any way that suits yourself," replied the Chevalier casually. "But to start with I am sure you will see the advantage of making the jewels up into one convenient packet, so that they can be handed to Maitre Blasieur without your hunting about your person as though you were seeking fleas in the coat of a dog."
Seeing the sense of this Roger began to get out his collection again while De Roubec sought for something suitable in which to put it. On the lower shelf of a cupboard he came across a long, flat bon-bon box, and, finding it to be empty, threw it on the table with a muttered: "This will serve."
Having packed all the chains, brooches, bangles and rings into the box, Roger looked up at him and inquired: "What now?"
"Why, put it in the big pocket of your coat, mon ami," laughed the Chevalier, "I have no desire to be responsible for your property for a moment longer than the occasion demands; and we will now go together to the goldsmith's."
His last lingering doubts of the Chevalier's probity thus being dispelled, Roger got to his feet and, unlatching the door, they left the room.
Outside, the hot August sunshine glared upon the quay and as Roger walked along beside his companion his heart was high. Four-hundred pounds would be a nice little fortune on which to start life in London. For five pounds a week a young man could live in considerable comfort at a modest yet respectable hostelry and have half that sum over to spend on getting about. At that rate Georgina's present would keep him for over a year and a half, but long before that he expected to have some profitable employment, so he could well afford to cut a good figure and take more expensive lodging in the meantime if, having acquired well-to-do friends, it seemed advisable to do so.
On reaching the Rue Francois 1er they walked some way along it, then De Roubec halted and pointed with his cane to a corner shop with a low bow window.
"That is Maitre Blasieur's," he said. "‘T'would be best, I think, if I go in while you wait outside for me, otherwise he may suspect that I am acting only as an intermediary, and that the goods are really yours, which might lead to his asking embarrassing questions."
"You foresee everything," Roger smiled and wriggling the long heavy box out of his pocket he handed it to De Roubec, as he added: "I am indeed grateful to you. I will wait here and pray meanwhile that you may have good fortune on my behalf."
"Be sure I will do my best for you," laughed the Chevalier, "and I will be as speedy as I can. But do not be too impatient, as for a goldsmith to weigh and assess so many articles is certain to take not less than twenty minutes."
He was about to turn away when he paused and added:
" 'Tis understood that I am authorised by you to accept three hundred and eighty louis, or at the worst a close offer to that, is it not?"
Roger nodded and the Chevalier disappeared into the shop.
For a time Roger amused himself by watching the smart equipages with which this fashionable street was as crowded as it had been on the previous afternoon. A clock above the mercer's at which he had bought a change of linen and his smart lace jabot had shown it to be just on a quarter to eleven when De Roubec had left him, and every few minutes he glanced impatiently at its dial.
The hands of the clock seemed to crawl but at last they reached the eleven and the bells in the steeples of the town rang out the hour. Roger was standing no more than a couple of yards from the doorway of Maitre Blasieur's shop and his glance now rarely left it although he told himself that after the gold had been weighed De Roubec would require at least a further ten minutes to drive a good bargain.
He was wondering now if the Chevalier would manage to get for him four hundred louis or only three hundred and eighty. Perhaps he might even be driven to accept three-seventy? On the other hand he seemed a shrewd fellow and might persuade the goldsmith into parting with four-hundred and ten. In any case, Roger felt, he must give him a handsome present for all the trouble he had taken, and as the hands of the clock over the mercer's crawled on from eleven to ten past he turned over in his mind various gifts that he might make his friend.
He thought of lace ruffles, a more elegant cane, and a new sword-belt but decided that none of these were good enough, and finally settled on a pair of silver-mounted pistols, similar to those he had lost himself in the Albatross, and would have liked to possess again.
A clock chimed the quarter and still De Roubec had not emerged from the goldsmith's. Roger began to fret now at his friend being so long, and endeavoured to peer into the shop, but the door was of stout wood and behind the window hung a plain black velvet curtain which cut off all view of the interior.
Striving to muster such further patience as he could he began to walk agitatedly up and down. That De Roubec could not yet have come out was certain as the place had one entrance only and no second door round the corner of the street.