32
DIAMONDS TO SIT ON
and you know how difficult it is to forge dollars. You need special technical knowledge for that. He man aged to pass them on the Moscow Exchange, and then it turned out that his grandfather had bought them down in Kiev and was completely ruined. For, after aU, the dollars were false. So you never know, there may be a slip with your passport.’ Hippolyte was furious that instead of looking for the diamonds he was fastened in here in the porter’s room listening to the rattling tongue of an impudent fellow who went on and on about the shady trans actions of his friends. But he could not get away, and he was beginning to be afraid of this young man. He might go about the town telling people that the late marshal of nobility had returned, and that would be an end to everything. They might even put him in prison. ‘ You won’t tell any one that you’ve seen me ? ’ said Hippolyte pleadingly. ‘ They might really think that I’d come back from abroad.’ ‘ Now that’s excellent ! ’ said Bender. ‘ First there’s the truant who comes back to his native town and then he’s afraid of prison 1 ’
- But I’ve told you a thousand times that I’ve not
been abroad.’ ‘ Well, where have you been ? And why have you come here ? ” ‘ I’ve come ■ WeU, I’ve come from another town on business.' ‘ What business ? ’ ' WeU, if you must know, on personal business.’ ‘ And then you try to make out that you’re not one of the old regime. One of my friends also came back and'----- ’ At this, Hippolyte was almost desperate and gave in. ‘ All right,’ he said. ‘ I’ll tell you everything.’ ‘ After aU,’ he thought to himself, ‘ it wiU be difficult without some assistance. And this feUow seems to be a thorough rogue. Such a man may be very useful.’
