This chair he did not offer to the young lady; in fact, he did not offer her a seat at all, but sank down on the tiger's skin himself, placed the tips of his fingers together, and glared at her through his glittering glasses.
"Now, young woman," he said abruptly, "what have you brought for me?
Don't begin to chatter, for my time is valuable.

Show me what you have brought, and I will tell you all about it; and most likely a very simple thing it is." Jennie, interested in so rude a man, smiled, drew up the least decrepit bench she could find, and sat down, in spite of the angry mutterings of her irritated host.

Then she opened her satchel, took out the small bottle of gold, and handed it to him without a word.

The old man received it somewhat contemptuously, shook it backward and forward without extracting the cork, adjusted his glasses, then suddenly seemed to take a nervous interest in the material presented to him.

He rose and went nearer the light.