CHAPTER 16
THE JEWEL
All that glisters is not gold--_Shakespeare_
There was the turnkey's belt lying on the floor, with the keys andmanacles fixed to it, just as it had failed and come off him at the fatalmoment. Elzevir picked it up, tried the keys till he found the rightone, and unlocked the door of the well-house.
'There are other locks to open before we get out,' I said.
'Ay,' he answered, 'but it is more than our life is worth to be seen withthese keys, so send them down the well, after their master.'
I took them back and flung them, belt and keys and handcuffs, clankingdown against the sides into the blackness and the hidden water at thebottom. Then we took pail and hammer, brush and ropes, and turned ourbacks upon that hateful place. There was the little court to cross beforewe came to the doors of the banquet-hall. They were locked, but weknocked until a guard opened them. He knew us for the plasterer-men, whohad passed an hour before, and only asked, 'Where is Ephraim?' meaningthe turnkey. 'He is stopping behind in the well-house,' Elzevir said, andso we passed on through the hall, where the prisoners were making whatbreakfast they might of odds and ends, with a savoury smell of cookingand a great patter of French.
At the outer gate was another guard to be passed, but they opened for uswithout question, cursing Ephraim under their breath, that he did nottake the pains to let his own men out. Then the wicket of the great gatesswung-to behind us, and we went into the open again. As soon as we wereout of sight we quickened our pace, and the weather having much bettered,and a fresh breeze springing up, we came back to the Bugle about ten inthe forenoon.
I believe that neither of us spoke a word during that walk, and thoughElzevir had not yet seen the diamond, he never even took the pains todraw it out of the little parchment bag, in which it still lay hid in hispocket. Yet if I did not speak I thought, and my thoughts were sadenough. For here were we a second time, flying for our lives, and if wehad not the full guilt of blood upon our hands, yet blood was surelythere. So this flight was very bitter to me, because the scene of deathof which I had been witness this morning seemed to take me farther stillaway from all my old happy life, and to stand like another dreadfulobstacle between Grace and me. In the Family Bible lying on the table inmy aunt's best parlour was a picture of Cain, which I had often looked atwith fear on wet Sunday afternoons. It showed Cain striding along in themidst of a boundless desert, with his sons and their wives stridingbehind him, and their little children carried slung on poles. There was aquick, swinging motion in the bodies of all, as though they must needsalways stride as fast as they might, and never rest, and their faces wereset hard, and thin with eternal wandering and disquiet. But the thinnestand most restless-looking and hardest face was Cain's, and on the middleof his forehead there was a dark spot, which God had set to show thatnone might touch him, because he was the first murderer, and cursed forever. This had always been to me a dreadful picture, though I could notchoose but look at it, and was sorry indeed for Cain, for all he was sowicked, because it seemed so hard to have to wander up and down the worldall his life long, and never be able to come to moorings. And yet thisvery thing had come upon me now, for here we were, with the blood of twomen on our hands, wanderers on the face of the earth, who durst never gohome; and if the mark of Cain was not on my forehead already, I felt itmight come out there at any minute.
When we reached the Bugle I went upstairs and flung myself upon the bedto try to rest a little and think, but Elzevir shut himself in with thelandlord, and I could hear them talking earnestly in the room under me.After a while he came up and said that he had considered with thelandlord how we could best get away, telling him that we must be off atonce, but letting him suppose that we were eager to leave the placebecause some of the Excise had got wind of our whereabouts. He had saidnothing to our host about the turnkey, wishing as few persons as possibleto know of that matter, but doubted not that we should by all meanshasten our departure from the island, for that as soon as the turnkey wasmissed inquiry would certainly be made for the plasterers with whom hewas last seen.
Yet in this thing at least Fortune favoured us, for there was now lyingat Cowes, and ready to sail that night, a Dutch couper that had run acargo of Hollands on the other side of the island, and was going back toScheveningen freighted with wool. Our landlord knew the Dutch captainwell, having often done business for him, and so could give us letters ofrecommendation which would ensure us a passage to the Low Countries. Thusin the afternoon we were on the road, making our way from Newport toCowes in a new disguise, for we had changed our clothes again, and nowwore the common sailor dress of blue.
The clouds had returned after the rain, and the afternoon was wet, andworse than the morning, so I shall not say anything of another weary andsilent walk. We arrived on Cowes quay by eight in the evening, and foundthe couper ready to make sail, and waiting only for the tide to set out.Her name was the _Gouden Droom_, and she was a little larger than the_Bonaventure_, but had a smaller crew, and was not near so well found.Elzevir exchanged a few words with the captain, and gave him thelandlord's letter, and after that they let us come on board, but saidnothing to us. We judged that we were best out of the way, so went below;and finding her laden deep, and even the cabin full of bales of wool,flung ourselves on them to rest. I was so tired and heavy with sleep thatmy eyes closed almost before I was lain down, and never opened till thenext morning was well advanced.
I shall not say anything about our voyage, nor how we came safe toScheveningen, because it has little to do with this story. Elzevir hadsettled that we should go to Holland, not only because the couper waswaiting to sail thither for we might doubtless have found other boatsbefore long to take us elsewhere--but also because he had learned atNewport that the Hague was the first market in the world for diamonds.This he told me after we were safe housed in a little tavern in the town,which was frequented by seamen, but those of the better class, such asmates and skippers of small vessels. Here we lay for several days whileElzevir made such inquiry as he could without waking suspicion as to whowere the best dealers in precious stones, and the most able to pay a goodprice for a valuable jewel. It was lucky, too, for us that Elzevir couldspeak the Dutch language--not well indeed, but enough to make himselfunderstood, and to understand others. When I asked where he had learnedit, he told me that he came of Dutch blood on his mother's side, and sogot his name of Elzevir; and that he could once speak in Dutch as readilyas in English, only that his mother dying when he was yet a boy he lostsomething of the facility.
As the days passed, the memory of that dreadful morning at Carisbrookebecame dimmer to me, and my mind more cheerful or composed. I got thediamond back from Elzevir, and had it out many times, both by day and bynight, and every time it seemed more brilliant and wonderful than thelast. Often of nights, after all the house was gone to rest, I wouldlock the door of the room, and sit with a candle burning on the table,and turn the diamond over in my hands. It was, as I have said, as big asa pigeon's egg or walnut, delicately cut and faceted all over, perfectand flawless, without speck or stain, and yet, for all it was so clearand colourless, there flew out from the depth of it such flashes andsparkles of red, blue, and green, as made one wonder whence these tintscould come. Thus while I sat and watched it I would tell Elzevir storiesfrom the _Arabian Nights_, of wondrous jewels, though I believe therenever was a stone that the eagles brought up from the Valley ofDiamonds, no, nor any in the Caliph's crown itself, that could excelthis gem of ours.
You may be sure that at such times we talked much of the value that wasto be put upon the stone, and what was likely to be got for it, but nevercould settle, not having any experience of such things. Only, I was surethat it must be worth thousands of pounds, and so sat and rubbed myhands, saying that though life was like a game of hazard, and our throwshad hitherto been bad enough, yet we had made something of this last. Butall the while a strange change was coming over us both, and our partsseemed turned about. For whereas a
few days before it was I who wished tofling the diamond away, feeling overwrought and heavy-hearted in thatawful well-house, and Elzevir who held me from it; now it was he thatseemed to set little store by it, and I to whom it was all in all. Heseldom cared to look much at the jewel, and one night when I was praisingit to him, spoke out:
'Set not thy heart too much upon this stone. It is thine, and thine todeal with. Never a penny will I touch that we may get for it. Yet,were I thou, and reached great wealth with it, and so came back oneday to Moonfleet, I would not spend it all on my own ends, but putaside a part to build the poor-houses again, as men say Blackbeardmeant to do with it'
I did not know what made him speak like this, and was not willing, evenin fancy, to agree to what he counselled; for with that gem before me,lustrous, and all the brighter for lying on a rough deal table, I couldonly think of the wealth it was to bring to us, and how I would mostcertainly go back one day to Moonfleet and marry Grace. So I neveranswered Elzevir, but took the diamond and slipped it back in the silverlocket, which still hung round my neck, for that was the safest place forit that we could think of.
We spent some days in wandering round the town making inquiries, andlearnt that most of the diamond-buyers lived near one another in acertain little street, whose name I have forgotten, but that the richestand best known of them was one Krispijn Aldobrand. He was a Jew by birth,but had lived all his life in the Hague, and besides having bought andsold some of the finest stones, was said to ask few questions, and totrouble little whence stones came, so they were but good. Thus, aftermuch thought and many changes of purpose, we chose this Aldobrand, andsettled we would put the matter to the touch with him.
We took an evening in late summer for our venture, and came toAldobrand's house about an hour before sundown. I remember the placewell, though I have not seen it for so long, and am certainly never liketo see it again. It was a low house of two stories standing back a littlefrom the street, with some wooden palings and a grass plot before it, anda stone-flagged path leading up to the door. The front of it waswhitewashed, with green shutters, and had a shiny-leaved magnolia trainedround about the windows. These jewellers had no shops, though sometimesthey set a single necklace or bracelet in a bottom window, but put upnotices proclaiming their trade. Thus there was over Aldobrand's door aboard stuck out to say that he bought and sold jewels, and would lendmoney on diamonds or other valuables.
A sturdy serving-man opened the door, and when he heard our business wasto sell a jewel, left us in a stone-floored hall or lobby, while he wentupstairs to ask whether his master would see us. A few minutes later thestairs creaked, and Aldobrand himself came down. He was a little wizenedman with yellow skin and deep wrinkles, not less than seventy years old;and I saw he wore shoes of polished leather, silver-buckled, andtilted-heeled to add to his stature. He began speaking to us from thelanding, not coming down into the hall, but leaning over the handrail:
'Well, my sons, what would you with me? I hear you have a jewel to sell,but you must know I do not purchase sailors' flotsam. So if 'tis amoonstone or catseye, or some pin-head diamonds, keep them to makebrooches for your sweethearts, for Aldobrand buys no toys like that.'
He had a thin and squeaky voice, and spoke to us in our own tongue,guessing no doubt that we were English from our faces. 'Twas true hehandled the language badly enough, yet I was glad he used it, for so Icould follow all that was said.
'No toys like that,' he said again, repeating his last words, and Elzeviranswered: 'May it please your worship, we are sailors from over sea, andthis boy has a diamond that he would sell.'
I had the gem in my hand all ready, and when the old man squeakedpeevishly, 'Out with it then, let's see, let's see,' I reached it out tohim. He stretched down over the banisters, and took it; holding out hispalm hollowed, as if 'twas some little paltry stone that might otherwisefall and be lost. It nettled me to have him thus underrate our treasure,even though he had never seen it, and so I plumped it down into his handas if it were as big as a pumpkin. Now the hall was a dim place, beinglit only by a half-circle of glass over the door, and so I could not seevery well; yet in reaching down he brought his head near mine, and Icould swear his face changed when he felt the size of the stone in hishand, and turned from impatience and contempt to wonder and delight. Hetook the jewel quickly from his palm, and held it up between finger andthumb, and when he spoke again, his voice was changed as well as hisface, and had lost most of the sharp impatience.
'There is not light enough to see in this dark place--follow me,' and heturned back and went upstairs rapidly, holding the stone in his hand; andwe close at his heels, being anxious not to lose sight of him now that hehad our diamond, for all he was so rich and well known a man.
Thus we came to another landing, and there he flung open the door of aroom which looked out west, and had the light of the setting sunstreaming in full flood through the window. The change from the dimnessof the stairs to this level red blaze was so quick that for a minute Icould make out nothing, but turning my back to the window saw presentlythat the room was panelled all through with painted wood, with a bed letinto the wall on one side, and shelves round the others, on which weremany small coffers and strong-boxes of iron. The jeweller was sitting ata table with his face to the sun, holding the diamond up against thelight, and gazing into it closely, so that I could see every working ofhis face. The hard and cunning look had come back to it, and he turnedsuddenly upon me and asked quite sharply, 'What is your name, boy? Whencedo you come?'
Now I was not used to walk under false names, and he took me unawares,so I must needs blurt out, 'My name is John Trenchard, sir, and I comefrom Moonfleet, in Dorset.'
A second later I could have bitten off my tongue for having said as much,and saw Elzevir frowning at me to make me hold my peace. But 'twas toolate then, for the merchant was writing down my answer in a parchmentledger. And though it would seem to most but a little thing that heshould thus take down my name and birthplace, and only vexed us at thetime, because we would not have it known at all whence we came; yet inthe overrulings of Providence it was ordered that this note in Mr.Aldobrand's book should hereafter change the issue of my life.
'From Moonfleet, in Dorset,' he repeated to himself, as he finishedwriting my answer. 'And how did John Trenchard come by this?' and hetapped the diamond as it lay on the table before him.
Then Elzevir broke in quickly, fearing no doubt lest I should be betrayedinto saying more: 'Nay, sir, we are not come to play at questions andanswers, but to know whether your worship will buy this diamond, and atwhat price. We have no time to tell long histories, and so must only saythat we are English sailors, and that the stone is fairly come by.' Andhe let his fingers play with the diamond on the table, as if he feared itmight slip away from him.
'Softly, softly,' said the old man; 'all stones are fairly come by; buthad you told me whence you got this, I might have spared myself sometedious tests, which now I must crave pardon for making.'
He opened a cupboard in the panelling, and took out from it a littlepair of scales, some crystals, a black-stone, and a bottle full of agreen liquid. Then he sat down again, drew the diamond gently fromElzevir's fingers, which were loth to part with it, and began using hisscales; balancing the diamond carefully, now against a crystal, nowagainst some small brass weights. I stood with my back to the sunset,watching the red light fall upon this old man as he weighed the diamond,rubbed it on the black-stone, or let fall on it a drop of the liquor,and so could see the wonder and emotion fade away from his face, andonly hard craftiness left in it.
I watched him meddling till I could bear to watch no longer, feeling afierce feverish suspense as to what he might say, and my pulse beatingso quick that I could scarce stand still. For was not the decisivemoment very nigh when we should know, from these parched-up lips, thevalue of the jewel, and whether it was worth risking life for, whetherthe fabric of our hopes was built on sure foundation or on slipperysand? So I turned my back on the diamond merch
ant, and looked out of thewindow, waiting all the while to catch the slightest word that mightcome from his lips.
I have found then and at other times that in such moments, though themind be occupied entirely by one overwhelming thought, yet the eyes takein, as it were unwittingly, all that lies before them, so that we canafterwards recall a face or landscape of which at the time we took nonote. Thus it was with me that night, for though I was thinking ofnothing but the jewel, yet I noted everything that could be seen throughthe window, and the recollection was of use to me later on. The windowwas made in the French style, reaching down to the floor, and openinglike a door with two leaves. It led on to a little balcony, and now stoodopen (for the day was still very hot), and on the wall below was traineda pear-tree, which half-embowered the balcony with its green leaves. Thewindow could be well protected in case of need, having latticed woodenblinds inside, and heavy shutters shod with iron on the outer wall, andthere were besides strong bolts and sockets from which ran certain wireswhose use I did not know. Below the balcony was a square garden-plot,shut in with a brick wall, and kept very neat and trim. There werehollyhocks round the walls, and many-coloured poppies, with many othershrubs and flowers. My eyes fell on one especially, a tall red-blossomedrushy kind of flower, that I had never seen before; and that seemedindeed to be something out of the common, for it stood in the middle of alittle earth-plot, and had the whole bed nearly to itself.
I was looking at this flower, not thinking of it, but wondering all thewhile whether Mr. Aldobrand would say the diamond was worth ten thousandpounds, or fifty, or a hundred thousand, when I heard him speaking, andturned round quick. 'My sons, and you especially, son John,' he said, andturned to me: 'this stone that you have brought me is no stone at all,but glass--or rather paste, for so we call it. Not but what it is goodpaste, and perhaps the best that I have seen, and so I had to try it tomake sure. But against high chymic tests no sham can stand; and first itis too light in weight, and second, when rubbed on this Basanus orBlack-stone, traces no line of white, as any diamond must. But, third andlast, I have tried it with the hermeneutic proof, and dipped it in thismost costly lembic; and the liquor remains pure green and clear, notturbid orange, a diamond leaves it.'
As he spoke the room spun round, and I felt the sickness andheart-sinking that comes with the sudden destruction of long-cherishedhope. So it was all a sham, a bit of glass, for which we had risked ourlives. Blackbeard had only mocked us even in his death, and from rich menwe were become the poorest outcasts. And all the other bright fanciesthat had been built on this worthless thing fell down at once, like ahouse of cards. There was no money now with which to go back rich toMoonfleet, no money to cloak past offences, no money to marry Grace; andwith that I gave a sigh, and my knees failing should have fallen had notElzevir held me.
'Nay, son John,' squeaked the old man, seeing I was so put about, 'takeit not hardly, for though this is but paste, I say not it is worthless.It is as fine work as ever I have seen, and I will offer you ten silvercrowns for it; which is a goodly sum for a sailor-lad to have in hand,and more than all the other buyers in this town would bid you for it.'
'Tush, tush,' cried Elzevir, and I could hear the bitterness anddisappointment in his voice, however much he tried to hide it; 'we arenot come to beg for silver crowns, so keep them in your purse. And thedevil take this shining sham; we are well quit of it; there is a curseupon the thing!' And with that he caught up the stone and flung it awayout of the window in his anger.
This brought the diamond-buyer to his feet in a moment. 'You fool, youcursed fool!' he shrieked, 'are you come here to beard me? and when I saythe thing is worth ten silver crowns do you fling it to the winds?'
I had sprung forward with a half thought of catching Elzevir's arm; butit was too late--the stone flew up in the air, caught the low rays of thesetting sun for a moment, and then fell among the flowers. I could notsee it as it fell, yet followed with my eyes the line in which it shouldhave fallen, and thought I saw a glimmer where it touched the earth. Itwas only a flash or sparkle for an instant, just at the stem of that samerushy red-flowered plant, and then nothing more to be seen; but as Ifaced round I saw the little man's eyes turned that way too, and perhapshe saw the flash as well as I.
'There's for your ten crowns!' said Elzevir. 'Let us be going, lad.' Andhe took me by the arm and marched me out of the room and down the stairs.
'Go, and a blight on you!' says Mr. Aldobrand, his voice being not sohigh as when he cried out last, but in his usual squeak; and then herepeated, 'a blight on you,' just for a parting shot as we went throughthe door.
We passed two more waiting-men on the stairs, but they said nothing tous, and so we came to the street.
We walked along together for some time without a word, and thenElzevir said, 'Cheer up, lad, cheer up. Thou saidst thyself thoufearedst there was a curse on the thing, so now it is gone, maybe weare well quit of it.'
Yet I could not say anything, being too much disappointed to find thediamond was a sham, and bitterly cast down at the loss of all our hopes.It was all very well to think there was a curse upon the stone so long aswe had it, and to feign that we were ready to part with it; but now itwas gone I knew that at heart I never wished to part with it at all, andwould have risked any curse to have it back again. There was supperwaiting for us when we got back, but I had no stomach for victuals andsat moodily while Elzevir ate, and he not much. But when I sat andbrooded over what had happened, a new thought came to my mind and Ijumped up and cried, 'Elzevir, we are fools! The stone is no sham; 'tis areal diamond!'
He put down his knife and fork, and looked at me, not saying anything,but waiting for me to say more, and yet did not show so much surprise asI expected. Then I reminded him how the old merchant's face was full ofwonder and delight when first he saw the stone, which showed he thoughtit was real then, and how afterwards, though he schooled his voice tobring out long words to deceive us, he was ready enough to spring to hisfeet and shriek out loud when Elzevir threw the stone into the garden. Ispoke fast, and in talking to him convinced myself, so when I stopped forwant of breath I was quite sure that the stone was indeed a diamond, andthat Aldobrand had duped us.
Still Elzevir showed little eagerness, and only said--
''Tis like enough that what you say is true, but what would you have usdo? The stone is flung away.'
'Yes,' I answered; 'but I saw where it fell, and know the very place; letus go back now at once and get it.'
'Do you not think that Aldobrand saw the place too?' asked Elzevir; andthen I remembered how, when I turned back to the room after seeing thestone fall, I caught the eyes of the old merchant looking the same way;and how he spoke more quietly after that, and not with the bitter cry heused when Elzevir tossed the jewel out of the window.
'I do not know,' I said doubtfully; 'let us go back and see. It felljust by the stem of a red flower that I marked well. What!' I added,seeing him still hesitate and draw back, 'do you doubt? Shall we not goand get it?'
Still he did not answer for a minute, and then spoke slowly, as ifweighing his words. 'I cannot tell. I think that all you say is true, andthat this stone is real. Nay, I was half of that mind when I threw itaway, and yet I would not say we are not best without it. 'Twas you whofirst spoke of a curse upon the jewel, and I laughed at that as being achildish tale. But now I cannot tell; for ever since we first scentedthis treasure luck has run against us, John; yes, run against us verystrong; and here we are, flying from home, called outlaws, and with bloodupon our hands. Not that blood frightens me, for I have stood face toface with men in fair fight, and never felt a death-blow given so weighon my soul; but these two men came to a tricksy kind of end, and yet Icould not help it. 'Tis true that all my life I've served theContraband, but no man ever knew me do a foul action; and now I do notlike that men should call me felon, and like it less that they shouldcall thee felon too. Perhaps there may be after all some curse that hangsabout this stone, and leads to ruin those that handle it.
I cannot say,for I am not a Parson Glennie in these things; but Blackbeard in an evilmood may have tied the treasure up to be a curse to any that use it forthemselves. What do we want with this thing at all? I have got money tobe touched at need; we may lie quiet this side the Channel, where thoushalt learn an honest trade, and when the mischief has blown over we willgo back to Moonfleet. So let the jewel be, John; shall we not let thejewel be?'
He spoke earnestly, and most earnestly at the end, taking me by the handand looking me full in the face. But I could not look him back again, andturned my eyes away, for I was wilful, and would not bring myself to letthe diamond go. Yet all the while I thought that what he said was true,and I remembered that sermon that Mr. Glennie preached, saying that lifewas like a 'Y', and that to each comes a time when two ways part, andwhere he must choose whether he will take the broad and sloping road orthe steep and narrow path. So now I guessed that long ago I had chosenthe broad road, and now was but walking farther down it in seeking afterthis evil treasure, and still I could not bear to give all up, andpersuaded myself that it was a child's folly to madly fling away so finea stone. So instead of listening to good advice from one so much olderthan me, I set to work to talk him over, and persuaded him that if we gotthe diamond again, and ever could sell it, we would give the money tobuild up the Mohune almshouses, knowing well in my heart that I nevermeant to do any such thing. Thus at the last Elzevir, who was thestubbornest of men, and never yielded, was overborne by his great love tome, and yielded here.
It was ten o'clock before we set out together, to go again toAldobrand's, meaning to climb the garden wall and get the stone. I walkedquickly enough, and talked all the time to silence my own misgivings, butElzevir hung back a little and said nothing, for it was sorely againsthis judgement that he came at all. But as we neared the place I ceased mychatter, and so we went on in silence, each busy with his own thoughts,We did not come in front of Aldobrand's house, but turned out of the mainstreet down a side lane which we guessed would skirt the garden wall.There were few people moving even in the streets, and in this little lanethere was not a soul to meet as we crept along in the shadow of the highwalls. We were not mistaken, for soon we came to what we judged was theoutside of Aldobrand's garden.
Here we paused for a minute, and I believe Elzevir was for making a lastremonstrance, but I gave him no chance, for I had found a place wheresome bricks were loosened in the wall-face, and set myself to climb. Itwas easy enough to scale for us, and in a minute we both dropped down ina bed of soft mould on the other side. We pushed through somegooseberry-bushes that caught the clothes, and distinguishing the outlineof the house, made that way, till in a few steps we stood on the_Pelouse_ or turf, which I had seen from the balcony three hours before.I knew the twirl of the walks, and the pattern of the beds; the rank ofhollyhocks that stood up all along the wall, and the poppies breathingout a faint sickly odour in the night. An utter silence held all thegarden, and, the night being very clear, there was still enough light toshow the colours of the flowers when one looked close at them, though thegreen of the leaves was turned to grey. We kept in the shadow of thewall, and looked expectantly at the house. But no murmur came from it, itmight have been a house of the dead for any noise the living made there;nor was there light in any window, except in one behind the balcony, towhich our eyes were turned first. In that room there was someone not yetgone to rest, for we could see a lattice of light where a lamp shonethrough the open work of the wooden blinds.
'He is up still,' I whispered, 'and the outside shutters are not closed.'Elzevir nodded, and then I made straight for the bed where the red flowergrew. I had no need of any light to see the bells of that great rushything, for it was different from any of the rest, and besides that wasplanted by itself.
I pointed it out to Elzevir. 'The stone lies by the stalk of thatflower,' I said, 'on the side nearest to the house'; and then I stayedhim with my hand upon his arm, that he should stand where he was at thebed's edge, while I stepped on and got the stone.
My feet sank in the soft earth as I passed through the fringe of poppiescircling the outside of the bed, and so I stood beside the tall rushyflower. The scarlet of its bells was almost black, but there was nomistaking it, and I stooped to pick the diamond up. Was it possible? wasthere nothing for my outstretched hand to finger, except the soft richloam, and on the darkness of the ground no guiding sparkle? I knelt downto make more sure, and looked all round the plant, and still foundnothing, though it was light enough to see a pebble, much more to catchthe gleam and flash of the great diamond I knew so well.
It was not there, and yet I knew that I had seen it fall beyond all roomfor doubt. 'It is gone, Elzevir; it is gone!' I cried out in myanguish, but only heard a 'Hush!' from him to bid me not to speak soloud. Then I fell on my knees again, and sifted the mould through myfingers, to make sure the stone had not sunk in and been overlooked.
But it was all to no purpose, and at last I stepped back to where Elzevirwas, and begged him to light a piece of match in the shelter of thehollyhocks; and I would screen it with my hands, so that the light shouldfall upon the ground, and not be seen from the house, and so search roundthe flower. He did as I asked, not because he thought that I should findanything, but rather to humour me; and, as he put the lighted match intomy hands, said, speaking low, 'Let the stone be, lad, let it be; foreither thou didst fail to mark the place right, or others have been herebefore thee. 'Tis ruled we should not touch the stone again, and so 'tisbest; let be, let be; let us get home.'
He put his hand upon my shoulder gently, and spoke with such anearnestness and pleading in his voice that one would have thought it wasa woman rather than a great rough giant; and yet I would not hear, andbroke away, sheltering the match in my hollowed hands, and making back tothe red flower. But this time, just as I stepped upon the mould, comingto the bed from the house side, the light fell on the ground, and there Isaw something that brought me up short.
It was but a dint or impress on the soft brown loam, and yet, before myeyes were well upon it, I knew it for the print of a sharp heel--a sharpdeep heel, having just in front of it the outline of a little foot. Thereis a story every boy was given to read when I was young, of Crusoewrecked upon a desert isle, who, walking one day on the shore, wasstaggered by a single footprint in the sand, because he learnt thus thatthere were savages in that sad place, where he thought he stood alone.Yet I believe even that footprint in the sand was never greater blow tohim than was this impress in the garden mould to me, for I rememberedwell the little shoes of polished leather, with their silver buckles andhigh-tilted heels.
He _had_ been here before us. I found another footprint, and anotherleading towards the middle of the bed; and then I flung the match away,trampling the fire out in the soil. It was no use searching farther now,for I knew well there was no diamond here for us.
I stepped back to the lawn, and caught Elzevir by the arm. 'Aldobrand hasbeen here before us, and stole away the jewel,' I whispered sharp; andlooking wildly round in the still night, saw the lattice of lamplightshining through the wooden blinds of the balcony window.
'Well, there's an end of it!' said he, 'and we are saved furtherquestion. 'Tis gone, so let us cry good riddance to it and be off.' So heturned to go back, and there was one more chance for me to choose thebetter way and go with him; but still I could not give the jewel up, andmust go farther on the other path which led to ruin for us both. For Ihad my eyes fixed on the light coming through the blinds of that window,and saw how thick and strong the boughs of the pear-tree were trainedagainst the wall about the balcony.
'Elzevir,' I said, swallowing the bitter disappointment which rose in mythroat, 'I cannot go till I have seen what is doing in that room above. Iwill climb to the balcony and look in through the chinks. Perhaps he isnot there, perhaps he has left our diamond there and we may get it backagain.' So I went straight to the house, not giving him time to raise aword to stop me, for there was something in me driving me on, and I wasnot to be s
topped by anyone from that purpose.
There was no need to fear any seeing us, for all the windows except thatone, were tight shuttered, and though our footsteps on the soft lawn wokeno sound, I knew that Elzevir was following me. It was no easy task toclimb the pear-tree, for all that the boughs looked so strong, for theylay close against the wall, and gave little hold for hand or foot. Twice,or more, an unripe pear was broken off, and fell rustling down throughthe leaves to earth, and I paused and waited to hear if anyone wasdisturbed in the room above; but all was deathly still, and at last I gotmy hand upon the parapet, and so came safe to the balcony.
I was panting from the hard climb, yet did not wait to get my breath, butmade straight for the window to see what was going on inside. The outershutters were still flung back, as they had been in the afternoon, andthere was no difficulty in looking in, for I found an opening in thelattice-blind just level with my eyes, and could see all the room inside.It was well lit, as for a marriage feast, and I think there were a scoreof candles or more burning in holders on the table, or in sconces on thewall. At the table, on the farther side of it from me, and facing thewindow, sat Aldobrand, just as he sat when he told us the stone was asham. His face was turned towards the window, and as I looked full at himit seemed impossible but that he should know that I was there.
In front of him, on the table, lay the diamond--our diamond, my diamond;for I knew it was a diamond now, and not false. It was not alone, but hada dozen more cut gems laid beside it on the table, each a little apartfrom the other; yet there was no mistaking mine, which was thrice as bigas any of the rest. And if it surpassed them in size, how much more didit excel in fierceness and sparkle! All the candles in the room weremirrored in it, and as the splendour flashed from every line and facetthat I knew so well, it seemed to call to me, 'Am I not queen of alldiamonds of the world? am I not your diamond? will you not take me toyourself again? will you save me from this sorry trickster?'
I had my eyes fixed, but still knew that Elzevir was beside me. He wouldnot let me risk myself in any hazard alone without he stood by me himselfto help in case of need; and yet his faithfulness but galled me now, andI asked myself with a sneer, Am I never to stir hand or foot without thisman to dog me? The merchant sat still for a minute as though thinking,and then he took one of the diamonds that lay on the table, and thenanother, and set them close beside the great stone, pitting them, as itwere, with it. Yet how could any match with that?--for it outshone themall as the sun outshines the stars in heaven.
Then the old man took the stone and weighed it in the scales which stoodon the table before him, balancing it carefully, and a dozen times,against some little weights of brass; and then he wrote with pen and inkin a sheepskin book, and afterwards on a sheet of paper as though castingup numbers. What would I not have given to see the figures that he wrote?for was he not casting up the value of the jewel, and summing out theprofits he would make? After that he took the stone between finger andthumb, holding it up before his eyes, and placing it now this way, nowthat, so that the light might best fall on it. I could have cursed himfor the wondering love of that fair jewel that overspread his face; andcursed him ten times more for the smile upon his lips, because I guessedhe laughed to think how he had duped two simple sailors that veryafternoon.
There was the diamond in his hands--our diamond, my diamond--in hishands, and I but two yards from my own; only a flimsy veil of wood andglass to keep me from the treasure he had basely stolen from us. Then Ifelt Elzevir's hand upon my shoulder. 'Let us be going,' he said; 'aminute more and he may come to put these shutters to, and find us here.Let us be going. Diamonds are not for simple folk like us; this is anevil stone, and brings a curse with it. Let us be going, John.'
But I shook off the kind hand roughly, forgetting how he had saved mylife, and nursed me for many weary weeks and stood by me through badand worse; for just now the man at the table rose and took out a littleiron box from a cupboard at the back of the room. I knew that he wasgoing to lock my treasure into it, and that I should see it no more.But the great jewel lying lonely on the table flashed and sparkled inthe light of twenty candles, and called to me, 'Am I not queen of alldiamonds of the world? am I not your diamond? save me from the hands ofthis scurvy robber.'
Then I hurled myself forward with all my weight full on the joining ofthe window frames, and in a second crashed through the glass, and throughthe wooden blind into the room behind.
The noise of splintered wood and glass had not died away before there wasa sound as of bells ringing all over the house, and the wires I had seenin the afternoon dangled loose in front of my face. But I cared neitherfor bells nor wires, for there lay the great jewel flashing before me.The merchant had turned sharp round at the crash, and darted for thediamond, crying 'Thieves! thieves! thieves!' He was nearer to it than I,and as I dashed forward our hands met across the table, with hisunderneath upon the stone. But I gripped him by the wrist, and though hestruggled, he was but a weak old man, and in a few seconds I had ittwisted from his grasp. In a few seconds--but before they were past thediamond was well in my hand--the door burst open, and in rushed sixsturdy serving-men with staves and bludgeons.
Elzevir had given a little groan when he saw me force the window, butfollowed me into the room and was now at my side. 'Thieves! thieves!thieves!' screamed the merchant, falling back exhausted in his chair andpointing to us, and then the knaves fell on too quick for us to make forthe window. Two set on me and four on Elzevir; and one man, even a giant,cannot fight with four--above all when they carry staves.
Never had I seen Master Block overborne or worsted by any odds; andFortune was kind to me, at least in this, that she let me not see theissue then, for a staff caught me so round a knock on the head as madethe diamond drop out of my hand, and laid me swooning on the floor.