“Take the globule, your excellency, and place it, for greater security, in your pocketbook,” said Escrocevitch; “you may even wrap it up in a bit of paper; and keep the sack of gold dust yourself, so that there can be no mistake.”

Shadursky gladly followed this last piece of advice.

“And now, your excellency, I should like you kindly to select another bag; we shall make two or three more tests in the same way.”

The prince consented to this also.

Escrocevitch handed him a new piece of charcoal to sprinkle dust on, and once more brought the blow-pipe into operation.  And again the brass filings disappeared and in the crevice appeared a new globule of gold.

“Well, perhaps these two tests will be sufficient.  What is your excellency good enough to think on that score?” asked the supposed Valyajnikoff.

“What is the need of further tests?  The matter is clear enough,” assented the prince.

“If it is satisfactory, we shall proceed to make it even more satisfactory.  Here we have a touch-stone, and here we have some nitric acid.  Try the globules on the touch-stone physically, and, so to speak, with the nitric acid chemically.  And if you wish to make even more certain, this is what we shall do.  What quantity of gold does your excellency wish to take?”

“The more the better.  I am ready to buy all these bags.”

“Very much obliged to your excellency, as this will suit me admirably,” said Escrocevitch, bowing low.  “And so, if your excellency is ready, then I humbly beg you to take each bag, examine it, and seal it with your excellency’s own seal.  Then let us take one of the globules and go to one of the best jewelers in St. Petersburg.  Let him tell us the value of the gold and in this way the business will be exact; there will be no room for complaint on either side, since everything will be fair and above board.”

The prince was charmed with the honesty and frankness of Mr. Valyajnikoff.

They went together to one of the best-known jewelers, who, in their presence, made a test and announced that the gold was chemically pure, without any alloy, and therefore of the highest value.

On their return to the hotel, Mr. Escrocevitch weighed the bags, which turned out to weigh forty-eight pounds.  Allowing three pounds for the weight of the bags, this left forty-five pounds of pure gold.

“How much a pound do you want?” Shadursky asked him.

“A pretty low price, your excellency,” answered the Siberian, with a shrug of his shoulders, “as I am selling from extreme necessity, because I have to leave for Siberia; I’ve spent too much time and money in St. Petersburg already; and if I cannot sell my wares, I shall not be able to go at all.  I assume that the government price is known to your excellency?”

“But I am willing to take two hundred rubles a pound.”

I can’t take a kopeck less, and even so I am making a reduction of nearly a hundred rubles the pound.”