And the
devil take this shining sham; we are well quit of it; there is a curse
upon the thing!' And with that he caught up the stone and flung it away
out of the window in his anger.
This brought the diamond-buyer to his feet in a moment. 'You fool, you
cursed fool!' he shrieked, 'are you come here to beard me? and when I say
the 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; but
it was too late--the stone flew up in the air, caught the low rays of the
setting sun for a moment, and then fell among the flowers. I could not
see it as it fell, yet followed with my eyes the line in which it should
have fallen, and thought I saw a glimmer where it touched the earth. It
was only a flash or sparkle for an instant, just at the stem of that same
rushy red-flowered plant, and then nothing more to be seen; but as I
faced round I saw the little man's eyes turned that way too, and perhaps
he saw the flash as well as I.
'There's for your ten crowns!' said Elzevir. 'Let us be going, lad.' And
he 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 so
high as when he cried out last, but in his usual squeak; and then he
repeated, 'a blight on you,' just for a parting shot as we went through
the door.
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