The Flaw in the Sapphire

wordless, he continues to lunge and feint, may comprehend the frightful mental overturn which prompted Raikes to sink inertly int

features like an apologetic sunbe

d transaction sh

nted acquisition c

etfully he acknowledged the presence of the lesser bits as, with

raising both hands above his head he brought them down upon the table with the lax inertia of utt

ere without the twitch of a

o stare with wonder upon this unfamiliar Raikes, who could thus permit the radia

door, then a pause; but its quick reverbe

istered to the echoing pan

"Uncle!" and the shout was followed by a vig

he assault was continued with still greater stress, h

f his face, emphasized by the smudges of the coal in which it had so

degree of absurdity, and yet the ugly p

nephew, Raikes, with a return of his accustomed intelligence, which had received its k

stakable accent of relief in its tone as it ad

d the appreciation of his disaster, as, with a glance of vivid comprehension, he look

adiator was replaced, and Raikes, proceeding to the door, r

tantly transformed to an expression of utter astonishment as he beheld th

h at the absurd spectacle, and as urgently impelled to restrain himself by the glitt

ould not make you hear us. You are al

he spinster, who gazed with widened eyes and

t, you see; now leave me until I get m

h extended, like a spasm, diagonally across its surface he beheld his bloodless cheeks and

ount for his plight, stood aghast, until his gaze, penetrating to the rear of

previous. A grin that was scarcely human and almost diabolical, as if the miserable creature had caught sight of the shriveled soul pee

s face, with an impersonal deliberation that was not only unnatural under the circumstances, bu

gely calm; the sharp decision of

e. He had evidently arrived at some determination,

py man sat in his room

urther overtures and left him to his morose reflections, to improve her opportunities of enjoying, unrebuked, the privileges of the

Raikes replied by saying: "I may have something to tel

ed Bob with br

me Raikes glanc

of nine. Sixty interminable minutes mo

ands crawled over t

he half h

mpatience p

l. He could, at least, suggest such a courtesy by his pr

ided to proceed to the apartm

overtaken him, and again establishing the spinster in a position where she could maintain an unobstructed view of the entran

e door, which he discove

as no r

unced enough to urge the door aside and enable hi

sault upon the panel the only recogni

nce fell upon the table

dden trembli

helmed; for there, in inconceivable negligence, lay the shagreen case w

of his outward husk with his i

the kaleidoscopic succession of tempta

sageway without in

was i

hear his heartbeats almost, which surged along his veins to his

quickness, Raikes, darting into the apartment, grasped the

om the room when the door of a closet in th

chair by the table, turned down the light in the lamp a trifle, and abstracted from his wa

discover that he was not due at the Sepo

vidence!" h

is approach as ostensible as possible

would be

astened the door, seated himself at the table, and presse

ng instant

of irradiation and

ilitation! Her

liberal equivale

aled to him that he had exhauste

of ten minutes for a

toxication of the facets and the glamor, the thrill of intelligent valuation; and the other half to

arcely arranged to his satisfa

d like as many se

ad been robbed; he had found a way to restitution;

arrears. Five more for a leisurely arrival would be ten

stone in the recess. That accomplished, Raikes em

nt occupied by the Sepoy he

or was

el, a voice which he recognized as

had was located, Raikes complied with these instructions, and, closing the door softly, es

e latter abruptly, "that the

a loss and the abuse of property. The announcement of the Sepoy awakened the sa

. A man often elects to be blind when confronted with a suggestion of disaster. I want to be candid with myself

ttempt at outward poise, seized the glass offered him and began a close inspectio

by the hasty exit of the waiting-woman and the soft alarm

her cheeks, a brighter lu

seemed to his enamored glance unspeakably bewitching in the graceful attitude, of which she was thoroughly unconscious, which

eagerness was

le appeals for protection and sensitive understanding to a man worthy of the name; and what evidences of confusion she betrayed were rather those which commonly prelu

rd of the object of jealous consideration, the prince was compelled to acknowledge, in these vague suggestions, an intangible but no less real successi

not glad to see me. I expecte

and the yearning intonation of his address, each word

g conditions introduced by the name, and a gleam strangely sugges

so easily forget what he had said the day before? And with a

promise to give me

e. 'I received word that h

hee so?' dem

ng so inf

t with

. 'It is in my cabinet. I

untenance with a scrutiny which he found it diffic

n! The native regiments of Meerut ar

blish Dahbur Dhu, my grandfather

t in succession, and Dahbur

sufficient force to wit

at this means for me; w

for thee, I know; but what it means for me'-and she paused wi

ce with generous ardor-'everything! Thou

h a questioning stress which the pr

id,' replie

en to be

eye-flash, Lal Lu saw it, and gazed upon the prince with a disconcerting directness as he added, with

Thou art a

surrender to an impulse to clasp her in his arms-'hold! Thy answers s

les intruded to enhance its appreciation of favor withheld brigh

curled his thin lips; the amiable inclination of his figure wa

iating significance of his hesitation, a majesty surer than his own, a presence superb in its elevation, encompassed her

a peremptory gesture the kneeling envoys of compunctio

the gong in the passageway res

, he hastened to the doorway, swept aside the curtains, and revealed the tremb

e fixed his eyes, vivid with rage at the unwel

with a gesture that was not without its weird

f his intensity, which he perceived deprive

rom the palace of the moghul; h

t it caused the beautiful girl to tremble anew, the prince v

demeanor of the waiting-woman und

ned in the recoil of her bent form to

d gleams which had pierced the retreating figure

; and she stood, the silent embod

ure requital and present impotence, the vindictive creature swept aside the

distrait countenance before her with a glance that was anything but unfriendly, in so far as

t at a smile, which could as readily find acceptance as a repentant scowl, this singular being inserted her hand in the folds of the tunic whic

e inner surface of the paper, and wi

aid; relief

signature; n

and as she reflected upon his well-known sagacity and resourcefu

you this?

ation, in which inclination and restrai

must no

had detected the irresolution of the instant prec

grin of amusement at this ingenuous betrayal of the author

by him, i

assented

beauty, unaware of its inspiration, witnessed with vague misgiving and a futile attempt t

exed at the baleful emphasis wh

nd uncompromising abruptness, 'am I wrong in thinki

e look which shot from the distended eyes of the young girl, the eccentric speaker, again inserting he

azed with unsmiling eyes upon the shrinking beauty. 'Be not a

to adjust the peaceful assurance of the grim-visa

receive his detested advances upon the point of this blade. Your protestations he will not heed, but this'-and the speaker advanced t

e terrified gir

lling emphasis. 'Ha, ha! you could not! But y

are not the sole o

walls who have been less obdurate than you,

pty pedestal from which her ideal had fallen, and recalled with a shudder the caress which

Do not doubt it. Sooner than submit to the embraces of

istakable resolution in her eyes, 'that I can do; but the other--'

u will; I have done for you what I could,' and she turned to depart, u

meager assemblages which presented themselves occasionally can be dignified by that description, he found awaiting h

randfather had certain of his servants subsidized at the Kutub, he

British had not impaired, wished to assure himself that he would be worthily succeeded,

of mutual distrust infected every dependent in the two households with that singular propensity

o discover more of the character of the people under their unwelcome rule, in a single estab

h he always insisted and which were shortly to be rendered so absurd, the pri

nce,' replied the Hindoo, 'wh

ed the prince. 'To the

grandfa

the prince with badly

y; w

ded the prince. '

in evident haste to conclude a disagreeabl

g abandonment of his customary elevation of demea

he house of Nadis

l she not attempt with that old driveller?' Then, evidently impressed by something shado

his head in pert

!' demanded his

thout the walls of Delhi; a detachment is even now on the w

, 'the freshet is turning

end to hold you as a hostage for the safety of the Engl

es to himself, in view of the sanguinary temptation which the helpless resident would

one hour

ning. You have hasten

ame the instant I heard. There is still time

rmination compressed his thin lips and ignited baleful fires in

darted, with lithe haste, into the inner

ide and revealed the glitte

thdrew a sort of jacket, separated upon its upper edge into a s

he began to pack the almost elusive portions of

the gems in the receptacles of this curious jacket, and, if the reports of the

per portion of his body, inserting the precious jacket beneath, and after adjusting it to his

ilken hangings which concealed his extreme of the passageway leading to the apartments of Lal Lu, he hastened along that dingy

is abrupt intrusion and its possible influence upon Lal Lu, the impet

, and the impetuous swish of its folds, Lal Lu sprang to her fee

her glance and ignoring the presence of

to be attacked by the British. We must fly-come!' and the speaker

gesture, raised the gleaming dagger above her head and cried, encouraged by the lowe

ntemptuous emphasis, exclaimed: 'Be not afraid, Prince Otondo, this is not for

n the eyes of this royal rogue, and never

wly he removed one foot behind the other. Lightly he pressed the slipper's point upon the tessellated floor, and then with a leap of incredible quickness, he darted forward

ble to prevent the incision which the dagger's point made

lovely casket which contains it. Here!' he called to the waiting-woman, who had witnessed the episode and into whose quick eyes, which had detected the slight wound upon the wrist of

; and turning abruptly, the prince hastened toward the doorway, pausing a second to

ll I do? He has gone to get some of his cr

a tense sile

with a laugh of such shrill exultation and riotous abandon that Lal Lu, for a moment forgetful of

his royal pest, this insolent prince, will trou

'You seem strangely pos

h the point of your dagger made

hrinking from the pictur

y austerity, 'I did. The wound was slight; only a few easily subdued d

u mean?' dem

mpt to disguise: 'The point of that dagger was steeped in the most deadly poison know

int in his narrative he paus

influence of the seductive

ng glance of his furtive auditor, "what of the f

red, by this apostrophe, an invitation which w

re!" and he began at once an apologetic inspect

"I must congratulate myself

t of concluding at the anxious moment. But see here," and he held the sapphire up to view; "I can see nothing wro

w, then, directly after brea

are not trust my own; my b

mprehended uneasiness to leave the Sepoy. "I will be here at that time"; and with his customary emotionless adieu

nter his room he was

u wanted t

f recollection, "I do; but suppose we

and Raikes, entering his room, fastened t

e the interior of the recess cont

ed upon the former, and the latter he secreted in the pocket of his waistcoat a

h had overtaken him so persistently in the pa

xecution a newly conceived plan of retiring for th

p of coals rattling to the floor, Raikes established himself in the seat so provided and, leaning forward, awaited the final blandishments of the drowsiness

ed on Dickey N

tion and composite style, the expression in the countenance of the listening

ronted with the habitual conclusion in italics, looked up with a grimace of recognition, his glance was met by

, and the contrasting vivacity of his rich, Irish accent, had awakened an interest

ness was un

of self, supplied this tired woman with elements of mental refreshment and genu

able attitude of attention which Dennis, with characteristic ing

now? Did you ever hea

," was the s

Raikes a div-a ti

racter and the incidents surrounding him, and contrasted the tumult

est?" asked Dennis, as he produce

nd regarding this oblivious young man with an expression in which a degree of specu

t lived in N

ation, Dennis responded by according to h

ed the lady,

c district, he supplied unconscious data in his appearance for classificatio

conquered as she replied to his question with that shade of frankness which, in the well-bred, can never be mistaken for anything else: "It requir

ed Dennis. "An' you

uring cordiality which somehow indicated to this young man that she ha

entirely," said

sider me inquisitive, since I may have something to suggest to you

s blu

ouragement in the manner of his sweet-faced listener, with a straightforward recital which the lady had expected from him, and which

ot anywhere as interesting as the dickey back; b

ion, at least, and may help me to solve a vexed problem. In the meantime, let us finish the

cleverest diplomacy could not have achieved, Dennis, holding his absurd medium at a level