she reached a finger out and touched one of the pearls. was still holding them out. So he got these she said. 'In Seattle. They're clever don't you think? They look very fine just like the real thing, of course I never saw any really valuable pearls. What did he get them for?' I asked. My voice was almost a whisper.Don't you see? They were his crime. He wanted to remember what he had done, and what he had done it for and all those long years that he spent paying for it. Hiding the pearls in the fish was a way of remembering, and a way of punishing himself. And do you know Her eyes were shining, and she spoke very slowly sometimes I think that in the very end, he really believed they were the real pearls that he was hiding. Does all this mean anything to you?' I looked down at the pearls. My hand closed over them slowly. I said, "I'm nothing special, Mrs Sype. I guess that idea is bit too hard for me. I think he was just trying to kid himself She smiled again. She was good-looking when she smiled. Then she said lightly: "Of course, you would think that. But me oh well, it doesn't matter much now. May I have them, to remember him with? "Have them?" "The the phony pearls. Surely you don't I stood up.