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 the
profits he would make? After that he took the stone between finger and
thumb, holding it up before his eyes, and placing it now this way, now
that, so that the light might best fall on it. I could have cursed him
for the wondering love of that fair jewel that overspread his face; and
cursed him ten times more for the smile upon his lips, because I guessed
he laughed to think how he had duped two simple sailors that very
afternoon.
There was the diamond in his hands--our diamond, my diamond--in his
hands, and I but two yards from my own; only a flimsy veil of wood and
glass to keep me from the treasure he had basely stolen from us. Then I
felt Elzevir's hand upon my shoulder. 'Let us be going,' he said; 'a
minute 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 an
evil 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 my
life, and nursed me for many weary weeks and stood by me through bad
and worse; for just now the man at the table rose and took out a little
iron box from a cupboard at the back of the room.
Pages:
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262