"And I have called on your parents?"
"Yes."
"I think," said the adventurer, "that will be sufficient to
convince you that I am what I appear."
It was hard to doubt, in the face of such evidence. Ephraim
Young was so unmistakably from the rural districts that it would
have been absurd to suspect him of being an artful city rogue.
Besides, Mr. Barnes himself was got up so naturally that all the
clerk's doubts vanished at once. He concluded that the customer
who had questioned his genuineness must be very much mistaken.
"I ought to apologize to you, sir," he said, "for doubting your
word. But in a city like this you know one has to be very
careful."
"Of course," said the adventurer, blandly, "I do not blame you in
the least. You only did your duty, though it might have cost me
some trouble and inconvenience."
"I am sorry, sir."
"No apologies, I beg. It has all turned out right, and your
mistake was a natural one. If you will kindly return me the
ring, I will defer selling it, I think, till another day."
The clerk brought the ring, which he handed back to Mr.
Montgomery. The latter received it with so much the more
satisfaction, as he had made up his mind at one time that it was
gone irrevocably, and put it away in his waistcoat pocket.
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