"Joe," he said, "this young feller is the goods. He can do the trick."
"Any trick, I take it, known to our trade. The very finest faker of old furniture I ever came across. Now, as between man and man, are you going to make a right and proper use of him?"
"Tchah! You know well enough what I mean. Why beat about the bush with an old friend? Are you going to turn this young man loose amongst that old stuff you’ve collected?"
"Am I going to let James Miggott fake up all that old stuff? No, by Gum! No!"
"Several reasons. One’ll do. I’ve sworn solemn not to sell fakes unless they’re labelled as such."
Tomlin went away, but he returned next day, and asked for a glass of brown sherry. Quinney had one, too.
"I’ve a proposition to make," said Tomlin. "You’ve got a small gold mine in this Miggott, but you don’t mean to work him properly. Well, let me do it."
"Suppose I send you ’cripples’ to be mended. Any objections to that?"
"This young Miggott mends ’em, and puts in his best licks on ’em too. Then you send ’em back to me."
"Do you want to know any more? Is it your business to inquire what becomes of the stuff after you’ve doctored it? And, mind you, I shall pay high for the doctorin’. You leave that to me. You won’t be disappointed with my cheques."
Let it be remembered, although we hold no brief for Quinney, that this subtle temptation assailed him shortly after his bludgeonings, when he was tingling with impatience to "get even" with the Londoners who had "downed" him.
Quinney has since confessed that at first he was very uneasy, honesty having become a pleasant and profitable habit. There were moments when he envied moral idiots like Tomlin, stout, smiling, red-faced sinners, who positively wallowed and gloried in sinfulness. Tomlin pursued pleasure upon any and every path. He went racing, attended football matches, was a patron of the Drama and the Ring, ate and drank immoderately, made no pretence of being faithful to Mrs. Tomlin, or honest with the majority of his customers. His amazing knowledge of Oriental porcelain had given him an international reputation. He never attempted to deceive the experts, and, in consequence, was quoted as a high authority in such papers as _The Collector_ and _Curios_. He knew exactly what his customers needed, and was the cleverest salesman in the kingdom. Less successful dealers affirmed that the devil took especial care of Tom Tomlin.
