The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-26
VII.
MIR. Smiths Magnums

Duncan McNab, chief steward of the
Rajapur, was a man who, as we have
seen, never allowed to pass an oppor-
tunity of making or saving a penny, or
even the half of that sum. The thrifty
care which kept him at his post OF the
ship at Southampton when he might
have obtained leave, because leave
would have meant not only railway
fare out of his own pocket, but pay
ment for his own board and lodging,
While remaining on duty would save
both-that same thrifty care caused
him rather to welcome than otherwise
the delay in the repair of the Rajapur
For it meant a few more days free
board and a few more days pay to
take-unless he were paid off sum-
marily, which was not unlikely. But
days went, and he still remained, to his
very great content
1t had been an uncommonly good voy-
age on the whole for McNab. Tips had
been more plentiful and larger than
usual, for it was not often that the
RaJapur carried so many passengers Of
a well-to-do sort as she had carried on
this last voyage, thanks to the Durbar
and the overfilling of the mail ships.
And now after profiting from the ships
good fortune in this respect, McNab
misfortunes. Truly everything seemed
going very well With McNab, and there
was only one thing with which he was
inclined to reproach himSelf-hiS lack
of boldness in specializing in Tokay.
Plainly that had been a great chance
lost. He had only ventured so far as to
speculate on a single magnum at the
sale-and that with much misgiving
that he was wasting his money. But
this bottle, although it had only cost
him 9 shillingS, had sold readily for
6 5, and McNab was consumed with
angry regrets on two accounts-firSt,
because he had not bought more mag
NUNS when he might have had them,
and second, that he had not made Mr..
Merrick pay more than 6 5 for the one
he had sold him. What it could be that
made the magnumS of wine SO valuable
McNab could not imagine; indeed he
did not try, for he was far from being
a man Of imagination-he would have
repelled that imputation with scorn.
Certainly he never dreamed of such a
reason as the concealment of a price
less jewel in one of the bottles. 1t was
sufficient for McNab that here was
quite little crowd of people inquiring
for those particular bottles of wine,
and ready to pay high price for them,
too. In the first place, Mr.. Merrick had
given 6 200 for the dozen. That fig
ured the brooding McNab, was at the
rate Of 16 lbs 4d a magnum. True,
he had Immediately afterward sold off
eleven of the dozen at about or 10
shillings apiece, but there was no ac-
counting for the eccentricities of Amer
lean millionaires, who could afford that
sort Of thing. Indeed, had not that
same millionaire been glad soon after
ward to pay 6 5 to get back one of the
bottles? He ought to have been made
to pay more-certainly he should have
paid more, reflected McNab. There had
been all sorts Of people after that bot
tie since then, and he might have made
his own price Mr.. Crook had been one
of them-the man who had originally
sold, the dozen for 5000; clearly he
knew the value of the wine. Then
there was a mysterious mana for
eigner, McNab supposed = the man
whom Crook had afterward described,
and whom he had called Hahn. He
had made higher offers than anybody
spoke casually of giving eS or SO a ,
magnum, for any that he could get and
spoke in such a way that the shrewd
McNab guessed very well that he
would easily go higher. Lastly, the
very auctioneer's clerk himself, one
Symons, had found him out, and had
offered first a sovereign, and then two,
for the magnum he supposed he still
had, or any others. OF course this
offer McNab laughed to scorn, but it
served, at any rate, to prove that the
great value of this wine had become
known to the clerk, who was anxious
to make a profit out of his knowledge.
Duncan McNab grew. gloomy and saw
age. Why hadn't he had the enterprise
of that fellow Smith, the man who had
bought the next four lots after the
first? He had paid 10 shillings for each,
and it was only that extra shilling that
had choked McNab off the lot following
the one he had actually bought.
Now early on the morning Of Merrick
and Crooks adventure at the late
Pritchard's lodgings in Redway street,
in London, McNab was taking an air
ing in Southampton, cogitating on these
things when he suddenly became aware
of Hahn himself, standing on the steps
Of hotel, smoking cigar, and smiling
and nodding recognition.
"Ah, Mr.. McNab, how do you do?"
cried Hahn, with very elaborate cor
diality. You don't remember me, do
you? L called on you on your ship to
inquire about some wine-we remem-
Der now, don't you? You had sold it,
you know. My name is Hahn, and |
came back to my hotel-this is my
hotel-yesterday morning Will YOU
have drink, Mr.. McNab?"
This was an invitation to which
McNab never failed to respond. In
deed, if it We're not for such invitations.
1t would have been cheaper to have
been teetotaler. So Hahn and McNab
went into the bar, and McNab drank
whiskey.
Yes pursued Hahn, who seemed
uncommonly = even feverishly COM
municative, ''yes, 1 came here early
yesterday morning, and registered in
the office just before u. II took a
sitting room, as well as a bedroom and
told them to book it from that time;
and l had lunch here. I've been in the
place, in fact, ever since. By the way,
what's the day of the month";"
Nineteenth replied McNab.
Yes, of course, Thursday the 18th.
might have known. l shouldn't have
expected to find you in SOUTHAMPTON so
long, Mr.. McNabl"
McNab explained the reason of the
delay.
'Ah-yes, most unfortunate" Hahn
commented. Most unfortunate. And
yet if it had not been for that little ac-
cident 1 should not have had the pleas
ure of meeting you here, Mr.. McNab.
on the ineteenth-Thursday, the nine.
teenth-after being at this hotel since
midday yesterday, which was the
eighteenth. So if you'll finish your
glass, Mr.. McNab, we will have it re-
filled! 1t all goes down in my bill, YOU
see; I'm staying here, since yesterday
morning-the eighteenth
McNab did not wholly understand
Hahns frequent references to the date