Page:Rowland--The closing net.djvu/174

158 So I told him everything, talking slowly and with care, while Rosenthal leaned back and smoked and listened without interrupting the narrative by so much as a "Sapristi." When I had finished, he sat for several minutes in silence, blowing the smoke from his thick lips.

Suddenly he leaned over and laid his hand on my knee.

"My fr'riendt," says he, "this is a wicked vorld, and there are many wicked people in it. But there are some good ones, too. As a man gets older he appreciates these. There are not so many people whom I am proud to know. I could count t'em on the fingers of von hand, and haf left der thumb. Dr. Leyden is von, and Mallock is von, und dere is anodder now in pr'rison, serving a life sentence for a fr'riendt. You also are von, und if you efer need a fr'riendt, call on Isidor Rosenthal."

"Thank you, Baron," said I. "One always needs a good friend. I am going to take you at your word. Now listen: John Cuttynge must redeem those pearls. His wife must never know what he has done. It would kill her. I don't know how he stands financially; pretty badly, I suppose, or he would never have stolen the pearls. Now, I am going to ask you to turn over those pearls to me, taking my note for what you paid and letting us pay it off as we are able."

Rosenthal struck his big chest a thump with his fist.

"I vill do it," says he. "Und I vill char'rge you no interest. Besides, you are entitled to a reward