they're doing a buck-and-wing on the bank of a river with the blues.
What did Mr. Morgan say he'd give for it? Oh, don't make me tell you.
They can't know what it is in that pawnshop."

When the pawnshop opened the next morning me and Silver was standing
there as anxious as if we wanted to soak our Sunday suit to buy a drink.
We sauntered inside, and began to look at watch-chains.

"That's a violent specimen of a chromo you've got up there," remarked
Silver, casual, to the pawnbroker. "But I kind of enthuse over the girl
with the shoulder-blades and red bunting. Would an offer of $2.25 for it
cause you to knock over any fragile articles of your stock in hurrying
it off the nail?"

The pawnbroker smiles and goes on showing us plate watch-chains.

"That picture," says he, "was pledged a year ago by an Italian
gentleman. I loaned him $500 on it. It is called 'Love's Idle Hour,' and
it is by Leonardo de Vinchy. Two days ago the legal time expired, and it
became an unredeemed pledge. Here is a style of chain that is worn a
great deal now."

At the end of half an hour me and Silver paid the pawnbroker $2,000 and
walked out with the picture. Silver got into a cab with it and started
for Morgan's office. I goes to the hotel and waits for him. In two hours
Silver comes back.

"Did you see Mr. Morgan?" I asks. "How much did he pay you for it?"

Silver sits down and fools with a tassel on the table cover.