Nay more, that the court might know what daring rogues they
had to deal with, he pulled out from his pocket the quittance given him
by Shalamof the Jew of Petersburg, for this same jewel, and showed it
to the judge. Whether 'twas a forged quittance or one for some other
stone we knew not, but Elzevir spoke again, saying that the stone was
ours and we had found it in England. When Mr. Aldobrand laughed again,
and held the jewel up once more: were such pebbles, he asked, found on
the shore by every squalid fisherman? And the great diamond flashed as
he put it back into his purse, and cried to me, 'Am I not queen of all
the diamonds of the world? Must I house with this base rascal?' but I
was powerless now to help.
After Aldobrand, the serving-men gave witness, telling how they had
trapped us in the act, red-handed: and as for this jewel, they had seen
their master handle it any time in these six months past.
But Elzevir was galled to the quick with all their falsehoods, and burst
out again, that they were liars and the jewel ours; till a jailer who
stood by struck him on the mouth and cut his lip, to silence him.
The process was soon finished, and the judge in his red robes stood up
and sentenced us to the galleys for life; bidding us admire the mercy
of the law to Outlanders, for had we been but Dutchmen, we should sure
have hanged.
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