"You may lower your arms to unpack the suit case," she said.
"I--I had rather not if you are going to keep me covered with your pistol."
"Of course I shall keep you covered. Unpack your booty at once!"
"Madam, do you take _me_ for a thief? Have you, by chance, entered the wrong house? I--I cannot reconcile your voice with what I am forced to consider you--a housebreaker--"
"We will discuss that later. Unpack that bag!" she insisted.
"But--but there is nothing in it except samples of marble--"
"What!" she exclaimed nervously. "_What_ did you say? Samples of _marble_?"
"Oh! So _you_ are the young man who goes about pretending to peddle Georgia marble from samples! Are you? The famous marble man I have heard of."
"Come!" she said scornfully; "let me see the contents of that suit case. I--I am not afraid of you; I am not a bit afraid of you. And I shall catch your accomplice, too."
"Madam, you speak like an honest woman! You _must_ have managed to enter the wrong house. This is number thirty-eight, where I live."
"But I _know_ it is number thirty-eight; Mr. Lee's house," he protested hopefully. "This is some dreadful mistake."
"Mr. Lee's house is next door," she said. "Do you not suppose I know my own house? Besides, I have been warned against a plausible young man who pretends he has Georgia marble to sell--"
"There is a dreadful mistake somewhere," he insisted. "Please p-p-put up your p-pistol and aid me to solve it. I am no robber, madam. I thought at first that you were. I'm living in Mr. Lee's house, No. 38 East Eighty-third Street, and I've looked carefully at the number over the door of this house and the number is thirty-eight, and the street is East Eighty-third. So I naturally conclude that I am in Mr. Lee's house."
"Your arguments and your conclusions are very plausible," she said, "but, fortunately for me, I have been expressly warned against a young man of your description. _You_ are the marble man!"
"I have a key--I mean I found the front door unlatched. Please don't misunderstand me; I know it sounds unconvincing, but I really have a key to number thirty-eight."
He attempted to reach for his pocket and the pistol glittered in his face.
"Won't you let me prove my innocence?" he asked.