know how good a thing you did when you looked out of the window
yesterday. Do you know, by the way, how much my book is worth?"

"No, sir," I said.

"Well. It's worth more than the King's crown," he said.

"But I thought it was only sums, sir."

"Yes," he said, with a strange smile. "But some sums have to do
with a great deal of money. Now I want you to think tonight of
something to the value of twenty pounds or so. I want to give you
something as a reward for your smartness. Don't decide at once.
Think it over. Here we are at our homes, you see. We live just
opposite to each other."

We were standing at this moment in the narrow lane at my uncle's
door. As he spoke, he raised his hand in a farewell salute with
that dignity of gesture which was in all his movements. On the
instant, to my surprise, the door of the house opposite opened
slowly, till it was about half open. No one opened it, as I could
see; it swung back of itself. After my friend had stepped across
the threshold it swung to with a click in the same mysterious
way. It was as though it had a knowledge of Mr. Jermyn's mind, as
though the raised hand had had a magical power over it. When I
went indoors to my uncle's house I was excited. I felt that I was
in the presence of something romantic, something mysterious. I
liked Mr. Jermyn. He had been very kind. But I kept wondering why
he wore a false beard, why his door opened so mysteriously, why
he valued a book of sums above the worth of a King's crown. As