The ledger was brought in by a business-looking young man, whom the old merchant introduced to me as his nephew and partner, Mynheer Bernhard Van Voorst.

“This is Mr. Fortescue, Bernhard,” he said, “the English gentleman who was dead—­I mean that I thought he was dead, but is alive—­and who many years ago left in my hands a sum of about two thousand piasters.  Turn to his account and see how much there is now to his credit?”

“At the last balance the amount to Mr. Fortescue’s credit was six thousand two hundred piasters."[2]

    [2] At the time in question, “piaster” was a word often used as an
        equivalent for “dollar,” both in the “Gulf ports” and the West
        Indies.

“You see!  Did I not say so?  Your capital is more than doubled.”

“More than doubled!  How so?”

“We have credited you with the colonial rate of interest—­ten per cent.—­as was only right, seeing that you had no security, and we had used the money in our business; and my friend, compound interest at ten per cent, is a great institution.  It beats gold-mining, and is almost as profitable as being President of the Republic of Venezuela.  How will you take your balance, Mr. Fortescue?  We will have the account made up to date.  I can give you half the amount in hard money—­coin is not too plentiful just now in Curacoa, half in drafts at seven days’ sight on the house of Goldberg, Van Voorst & Company, at Amsterdam, or Spring & Gerolstein, at London.  They are a young firm, but do a safe business and work with a large capital.”

“I am greatly obliged to you but all I require at present is about five hundred piasters, in hard money.”

“Ah then, you have made money where you have been?” observed Mr. Van Voorst, eying me keenly through his great horn spectacles.

“Not money, but money’s worth,” I replied, for I had quite decided to make a confident of the honest old Dutchman, whom I liked all the better for going straight to the point without asking too many questions.

“Then it must be merchandise and merchandise is money—­sometimes.”

“Yes, it is merchandise.”

“If it be readily salable in this island or on the Spanish Main we shall be glad to receive it from you on consignment and make you a liberal advance against bills of lading.  Hardware and cotton prints are in great demand just now, and if it is anything of that sort we might sell it to arrive.”

“It is nothing of that sort, Mr. Van Voorst.”

“More portable, perhaps?”

“Yes, more portable.”

“If you could show me a sample—­”

“I can show you the bulk.”

“You have got it in the schooner?”

“No, I have got it here.”

“Gold dust?”

“Diamonds.  I found them in the Andes, and shall be glad to have your advice as to their disposal.”

“Diamonds!  Ach! you are a happy man.  If you would like to show me them I can perhaps give you some idea of their value.  The house of Goldberg & Van Voorst, at Amsterdam, in which I was brought up, deal largely in precious stones.”