It would not have surprised me had she shown some signs of
consciousness, and perhaps betrayed that she recognised the
purse. But she contented herself with thanking me prettily, and
almost before I had done speaking had her slender fingers among
the coins. Turning, I found that Vallon had disappeared; so that
all came to a sudden stop; and with the one and the other, I
retired completely puzzled, and less able than before to make
even a guess at the secret of the young man's generosity.
However, the King summoning me to him, there, for the time, was
an end of the matter: and between fatigue and the duties of my
position, I did not give a second thought to it that evening.
Next morning, too, I was taken up with the gifts which it was my
privilege as Master of the Mint to present to the King on New
Year's Day, and which consisted this year of medals of gold,
silver, and copper, bearing inscriptions of my own composition,
together with small bags of new coins for the King, the Queen,
and their attendants.
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