now gathering round the table, examining the gold and notes with eager
curiosity. At length the old gentleman, pointing to the gold pieces,
said: "What are these?"

"Sovereigns," I answered, not a little amused. "Have you never seen any
like them before?"

"Never. Let me examine them again. Yes, these eleven are of gold. They
are all marked alike, on one side with a roughly-executed figure of a
woman's head, with the hair gathered on its summit in a kind of ball.
There are also other things on them which I do not understand."

"Can you not read the letters?" I asked.

"No. The letters--if these marks are letters--are incomprehensible to
me. But what have these small pieces of metal to do with the question of
your garments? You puzzle me."

"Why, everything. These pieces of metal, as you call them, are money,
and represent, of course, so much buying power. I don't know yet what
your currency is, and whether you have the dollar or the rupee"--here I
paused, seeing that he did not follow me. "My idea is this," I resumed,
and coming down to very plain speaking: "I can give one of these
five-pound notes, or its equivalent in gold, if you prefer that--five of
these sovereigns, I mean--for a suit of clothes such as you all wear."

So great was my desire to possess the clothes that I was about to double
the offer, which struck me as poor, and add that I would give ten
sovereigns; but when I had spoken he dropped the piece he held in his
hand upon the table, and stared fixedly at me, assisted by all the