The Flaw in the Sapphire

a degree of his customary hardness an

f the sapphire as his greedy glance and covetous memory could bear away; but now that he pursued his way

of the Sepoy and the absence of the fascination and gleam of the sapphi

e Otondo in the evening's instalment of this Orienta

ot comment upon the singular

ll unconcerned and self-centered men, manifest such an unusual interest in a recit

the impersonality of lethargy, for they were di

ng from fabric to ravel, Raikes finally reached his room a

an elaborat

to seek the seclusion of the bedclothe

of a night-robe and the time it would c

asleep indicated that he did not propose to squander useless time in wakeful speculatio

ld never have been guilty in his wakeful hours, for he found himself so engaged in all sorts of uneasy shiftlessness and inconsiderate

vermin in the wainscoting, and then, urged by an impulse whose source he could not deter

which released the fastenings in the rear, an uneasy thoughtfulness converging the ugly wri

and the radiator swung toward him; a few moments later the inner c

rything was as

ined undisturbed. But, upon nearer regard, one of them-that within easiest reach-seemed to

ion of impending disaster

or for further confirmation. It responded with reassuring bulk and weight. But th

an unfastened the cord which bound i

ision and clink of metal, a sodden

derment and alarm, Raikes

from his head, for, looming dully to his aching gaze, in place of the coin he h

which consumed him concentrated in his starting eyes, which t

threshold, examined the bolt with vivid glance and searching fingers,

ad been d

d inserted over the bar for ad

of entrance was by a window at

it opened, with sheer precipitation,

hich could afford no possible basis from which to

had been clasped and

sion was i

r a stranger to have access to the apartment during the day unobse

ere was the abs

incre

itory was of his

secure agai

ss, a catastrophe all the more agonizing since the logic of

d never been able to contemplate it without the mortal shudder which usually communicates

orld; every spasm of fear, each contraction of the heart, always be

ugly emphasis; there was somethi

of its ordinary forms, he was bewildered as to t

f security

his belongings jealously that day, and

decided to confide hi

e had heard of such cases; he had known of the culprit offering condolences to the s

with Raikes to de

hat portion of his attire in which he had not slept, double-locked the door of his room from the outside with a brace of keys that, in all li

awakened by a manifest desire on the part of the famished woman to satisfy

ich she buttered liberally and began to devour with pathetic haste, despite the rebuking gleam of the rat eyes opposite, an episode which, added to his already perturbed mind, exasperated his brutal

ed envy and Raikes considered with ascetic disapproval, looked, with a scarcely concealed

aikes promptly.

the time appointed," said the Sepo

ant aggravation

y, "is that your estim

; to comprehend the cunning of the facets; to appraise its magnificent bulk intelligently, and witness

a temptation," continued the Sepoy, re

kes, "and has concl

roblematical business, the spinster to escape the reprimand foreshadowed in the e

and absurd speculations, until his attempts to explain the curious sub

es at last presented himself at the apartment

anor which somehow offended Raikes with the impression that

f in the chair indicated by his host than the latter placed upon the table, within easy r

etting for the moment the futility of the day's researches, pressed his bony thumb upon the spring, and at once the l

r, what clarity, what bulk!" and as the unhappy creature yielded to that species of intoxication which even the grace of God seems unable to ameliora

lated, with familiar appraisement, the immense loss represented by the senseless substitution,

o the inane lines of superstitious fear, and the luster of his restless eyes seemed to have degenerated into that surrounding dullness

ince recoiled to his lithe stature, and the customary brightness

inging to the sheep of the Cyclops, Prince Otondo removed the pebbles which intruded their sordid prese

nce closed the panel, and seating himself before the rayless heap, surrendered hims

pebbles reach t

lute assurance that it was impossible for any one to

explain, that he had taken radical means of making it impossible for t

had retired the night before, t

is exchange

tity been removed? Nay, why not all, sin

ie iteration of the merch

s for di

alternative upon which it

ned his mind, and subside

m L

ant could no more enter the room in which the prince was sea

t had been able to

, considered with the impracticability of unobserv

ible condit

uperable obstacles in the way of its accomplishment, the p

ion that would, at least, extort a confession as

determined to say nothing of his loss, and present an

the servant charged with the preparation of his morning repast, when his attention was attracted to a slip

the savage perplexity he was compelled to endure, the prince, approaching, grasped the fo

fever of harassed impatience in his brain, and a

Illus

by nightfall, another handful of precious

is to wa

roops at Meeru

officers, and have put to deat

lhi to proclaim Dahbur Dhu, thy g

Moghul

next in s

as no si

everal specimens of that chirography at the

eference to the restitution of Lal Lu, and considered the prompt realization of the threatened reprisal which h

use to consider the absence of the intolerant passion which his loss should have occasion

nd remembered, at its inspiration, that he was, indeed, the grandson of the Moghul and the heir-app

e, with alert reanimation, questioned

t upon the outer sill of the threshold leading from the a

ed; but other and more absorbing in

oys had already passed the palace, on

yed in the strange communication which he had just read, th

upplied the native soldie

which, in order that it might not bind in the barrel bo

oys, the military authorities at Calcutta ordered the low-

tation disaster was

nerate of a Mohammedan; and to devour the fles

f Brahmins, and with the abomination of pork had the Afghans prevailed u

ey the startling information to their detested superiors that the cartridges they bit in loading the new rifles were gre

indoo, found its way first to Barrackpo

s confronted with the possibility of lost caste, and terrified at the consequent belief that the British G

y expedites evil rumor, along the Ganges and Jumna to Benares, Allahabad, Agra, Delhi and Meerut, and the B

r possible consequence to himself, the ambition-often napping, seldom

h in a state of disrepair in certain portions, was still unmistakably a royal residence. But he

heir insidious appeals to him, and he had not forgotten the ce

o contrive his own dis

o need to be

uraged his imagination. There was no spice

prince have joined the revolting troops, detachments of which he could perceiv

mi-majesty

quently place his impulse under obligations; a condition that had re

e would constitute anything but a passport to the continued consideration of the British Government, upon whose suffer

believe that the Sepoys could make h

accountably delivered missive, that Ram Lal had no intention of making his appearance that day, at least, returned to the apartment where his morning

n of the unseeing gaze which he projected into space, rose slowly, and with that moody deliberation which is so often the outward manif

u; and in response to a light touch upon the gong the same servile appa

sinister and engaging, eager and speculative, the prince, with a gesture that was not without its impatient majesty an

xpression of libidinous expectation and depraved absorption deepened upon the countenance of the latter, who, like an animal

is not late. This is an irritating trick of

nded me, then? Well, I can't admit you with the prince

aikes sourly as he replaced the gem, from whic

ng the shagreen case, with its priceless contents, in the hands

the familiar response of the locks to the pressure of his extraordinary

nd looking more effaced than ever from the weary vigil which her heartless brother had imposed upon her durin

n to make himself s

heavy bar in the iron shoulders, ove

m that it was out of the question

ded to the radiator, which for a trembling

toward him, the inner door responded to the sesame of his touch, and

ety, the wretched man examined bag after bag of his precious coin with the solicitude one sees mani

d in physical collapse, Raikes was able to assure hims

, the miser closed the various compartments with more than his accustomed certitude and began to prepa

ound himself ready to tuck himself away for the night, which he did

e of security he had felt for the last twenty-four hours, presently succumb

ch is commonly the reward of innocence, R

eyes he was as alertly awake as

ring forebodings, his habitual un

onditions of the day before as if they had

s, the recollection of his unusual meas

he approached the door and satisfied himself t

and pressed the button which operated the concealed spring, wi

or so and the inner

had so carefully arranged the night before, were undisturbed-but this one, that within easiest r

the man was

es of his time to part at once with his teeth and his treasure, Raikes grasped the bag, w

uth of the fateful packet an

view a soulless, sodden shower of

ed on Dickey N

e ye are again," as the familiar phrase at

young man, true to his determination to be liberal with

glancing aimlessly about for the moment, caught sight of a trim

not seen before on the street corners of New Yor

he fellow was about to raise his hat as a preliminary to further overtures, and sought another

of the lady had a personal application, deliberately walked past this

his pace slackened;

to the bench occupied by the disturbed lady, and, with a bow t

dam, and I'll see that you are tr

rom one intrusion was but the introduction to another, the lady looked upon Dennis with a

Irishman, the unmistakable evidence of kindly impulse, she said, with a

n annoys me; but I would rather move o

will sit beside you long enough to indicate that you

h there was just enough restraint to urge the young man to

o say. "That would be rather ungrateful on my part. I accept your s

pelled to accept its ostensible suggestion, and departed finally with a nonc

ly picturesque abandon, bosom No. 1 in his right hand and the other two in his left, which gave

s which he held, and encouraged by the impromptu nature of the entire episode, Dennis, as he realized the spe

on enforced by the situation, explained his possession of th

every one else, with such singular sentiments in contrast with his remarkable countenance, all traces of punctilious restraint and artificial reticence va

the balance from the dickey,"

uch," replied the lady w

ng man, on the basis of all that had preceded the bosom from which he was about to read, and which he had narrated to his audit