small. You call a thousand pounds respectable, and a shekel despicable.
Psha, my Codlingsby! One is as the other. I trade in pennies and in
millions. I am above or below neither."

They were passing through a second shop, smelling strongly of cedar,
and, in fact, piled up with bales of those pencils which the young
Hebrews are in the habit of vending through the streets. "I have sold
bundles and bundles of these," said Rafael. "My little brother is now
out with oranges in Piccadilly. I am bringing him up to be head of our
house at Amsterdam. We all do it. I had myself to see Rothschild in
Eaton Place this morning, about the Irish loan, of which I have taken
three millions: and as I wanted to walk, I carried the bag.

"You should have seen the astonishment of Lauda Latymer, the Archbishop
of Croydon's daughter, as she was passing St. Bennet's, Knightsbridge,
and as she fancied she recognized in the man who was crying old clothes
the gentleman with whom she had talked at the Count de St. Aulair's the
night before." Something like a blush flushed over the pale features of
Mendoza as he mentioned the Lady Lauda's name. "Come on," said he. They
passed through various warehouses--the orange room, the sealing-wax
room, the six-bladed knife department, and finally came to an old baize
door. Rafael opened the baize door by some secret contrivance, and they
were in a black passage, with a curtain at the end.

He clapped his hands; the curtain at the end of the passage drew back,
and a flood of golden light streamed on the Hebrew and his visitor.


CHAPTER XXIV.