The Flaw in the Sapphire

d in an attitude, the discomfort and unbalan

igid poise was in the arm which lay

clutch, the stone had rolled and gleamed an unregarde

mities of his mouth, the grim lips had relaxed their ugly partn

istening as

ts, the rustle of bank notes could not have fascinated him

ciousness. There was not a sound or motion

between Meerut and Delhi, who decided to sacrifice the dear

th the characteristic patience and dangerous silence of the true Oriental, to a figure of some importance, whom

Kutub, a palace situated not far

h still presented, in some of its unrepaired portions, curious features of the bizarre a

time and decay, and satisfied himself with the lavish furnishing of that co

his the princely revenues h

owances, and as the British Government proved equally obdurate, the pri

re, the unhappy Ram Lal became

undisturbed in the security of his posses

n order that his depredations might be worthy his proposed brigandage, he provi

ely too sagacious and philosophical to discourage the industry of the merchant at the outset; and

stentation of his possessions, and only assumed the dignity of

e servants of the merchant were those whose appraising eyes followed e

Prince Otondo balanced, in his philosophic

uncertainty was too pronounced for the apprehensive potentate, the most surprising occasions for the abandonment of

o have his interests jeopardized

naware industry, advanced still another claim t

blessedness, a daughter, who was, as reported by the mercenaries

s' and next his 'daughter,' was in the predicament of the missionary whose embonpoint endears him to hi

beauty, did not find it difficult to decide that the transits of Ram Lal to and from

was equally uneasy concerning the integrity of the merchant, a state of mi

ense of exit and entry, was in an exceptional position to a

industry of his evil genius, like an unstable pen

es of such action on the part of the colonel, and the latte

Lal arrived at the British horn of the dilemma, he was arrested upon a charge f

t was released, acquitted, and on the

d at his dwelling, he was informed that sundry officials from the palace had searched the premises for evid

ith the customary Oriental impassiveness had it not been for the

he shelter of the paternal roof without the paternal consent, Ram Lal felt

ement of his unhappy logic, for

ay, which was little else than the premises, he seated himself upon a mat beneath a banyan tree in the garden, which concluded the rear of

l to suspect, disturbed him, was a strange light which gle

us hours Ram Lal appeared to have

gree of decision, to his dwelling, where he slept

the sun from the tiara of dawn, Ram Lal set out for the palace of the Kutub, in which Prince Otondo was

ersed the short distance intervening and

d Dahbur Dhu, whose sole object in life seemed to be an att

exasperation over his predicament and his silly ostentations could be called by that name, this realmles

in his efforts to exact additional largess from the powers in control, to exp

al household to Bengal, but the time had not yet arrived when the British could rega

which was mainly confined within the palace walls at Delh

s grandson, Prince Otondo, as the successor to the throne, and yield a degree to the exactions of the m

ngruity, Dahbur Dhu assented, and Prince Otondo established himself at thi

rked an unusual degree of interest awakened by his presence, and was assured that he detected more th

on of conspiracy me

ery conditions one desires to combat, Ram Lal prepared himsel

of the swarthy satellites of the pr

nical estimation usually

on of disaste

ved in the familiar ante-chamber and announced himself, his voice reflected his t

the prince, he made a sorry attempt to assume a cheerful aspect, with the s

with intermittent strides-another Chryses about t

a desperate denunciation, which, when he considered the privileged rascality of his

d the result of this expected interview, the curtains part

ation of his turbaned head and a sweep of his hand, the dignity of which was intended to convey some intimation of the personality of his m

ce discerned the figure of the prince extend

who acknowledged his presence with a spiritless motion of his han

onality and surroundings, considerable of the picturesque magnific

, was not the least vital accessory to the sumptuous ab

characteristics and an invaluable masquerade for his gen

yes, usually veiled by lashes effeminately long, the whol

r of appreciation of the travesty of his words, as he gazed upon the merchant with a glance whose

rd,' answered Ram

look with which he challenged further revelations from the speaker. 'That touches me nearly

aimed the merchant, seizing the opportunity provided, w

th an amiability which the merchant had k

with the prompt obedience which contem

s from hom

nd my house despoil

prince, the priceless t

do not mourn my loss,

rs are dull to hear, whose eyes refu

e ewe lamb, my sole deligh

ls no more re-e

re swee

needle thrust into the eye of a bullfinch will make it sing, bu

a degree. You say your d

s cynical embargo upon the melancholy luxury of h

rged his au

s reached the acute juncture of his recital and is about to disembarrass

ughter has been taken from me, an

th a gleam in his glance which was directly respon

verence, 'if it so please your highness, your provide

ciatively; 'that was not so bad f

at is not known to your highness, or tha

I have, as you will see, observed

nt to signalize his appreciation of the impor

ce could develop such an oracle; it is a subtle sen

serted his hand in one of the folds of the sash which

stlessness transformed at once into the aba

ess will deign to examine it,' and the speaker extended toward the incredulous pr

as the prince pressed back the lid and exposed to view a magnificent sapph

scintillant stone, an astonishing change transformed the merchant fr

ere directed with baleful purpose upon the

mething of the suggestion of a guardian of the treasury, and was gradua

ee of the authority which appeared gradually to fade from the fine countenance b

ommand in ev

jesty in proportion to the access of dignity which had a

forward, one hand r

ines of his brow, and the next moment, as if in response to an insinuating pass of the merchant's hand of cobra-like undulation, the rigid poise recoiled, he sett

ken, O

ken from me by whom I sha

rned to me, I sh

seech your highness to see

sun declines, I

the precious stones you hold so dearly will be missing, and in the

ave with you as a w

ed toward the door, his eyes fas

d to lodge in the consciousness of his inert auditor like the sigh

s the sun

ly at variance with the placid gestures just preceding, the merc

e bare floor and transferred his glance at the same time from the drawn countenance

f the sedative tones of the Sepoy and the abrasion of the chai

iny and resumed his regard of the tantalizing facets with

hensile fingers riveted like a setting to the f

ent execution; every facet here cost a pang; how vit

he balance is perfect." And with this confusion of frank cupidity and rapacious reg

is a pleasure to show the gem to

The lapidary was subtle; his work sustain

ine and you can entertain yo

ikes, "you will leav

in your possession. Besides, it will be a revelation to you under the glass," and, arising, he stepped to the door, leaving t

ached the door which opened upon th

a marvelously glowing glance, repeated, with an emphasis so eerie as to occasion a thrill of vague

s the sun

startled miser to gaze, with greedy contemplation

inued on Di

would tear his shirt to tatters for a tale like that," and with appreciative meditation over the vexatious quandary presen

ere the dirt laves off the guessin' begins, and betwixt the two it's another

round and discovered that it was protected in the rear with a

e pinch of

sharpened and his

ure incapacitates a man for

t the week had advanced only as far as Thursday. Between that tim

an upon whom Dennis depended, or, equally grievous, the pres

n to present himself to the attention of t

o some overt importunity, he decided to devote the day to a persisten

ed that the secret of patience was d

at demanded prompt execution for its continued existence, adjusted the remainin

a degree depressed by the series of rebuffs which by now had developed a malicious habit, proceeded to the counter and, resting one foot up

d, and was engaged, at that moment, in the preparation of a famous antidot

hat he set out two glasses, after the manner of

er filling both glasses with a decoction which caught the light from a dozen merry angles

nd the effect upon his head the next morning had been sufficient to discour

er to concentrate its hypnotic gleam and sparkle upon the vacillating youth, "there

oneliness, Dennis responded to the dubious suggestion with the guilty haste of on

ts passage down his throat, and Dennis was aware of his indiscretion only by an increasing glow in the pit of his stomach

mething still to be desired, an elevation yet unattained, and Dennis saw no other way

inexperienced enough to accept, as a matter of course, the genial disposit

sed, began to urge him to a s

as no long

o annything," he

at all, if wan looks at

hole at prisint, but not

developed genial aspect of affairs, he informed the barman, with the philosophy of hi

stic fashion, and Dennis, in acknowledgment, substituted

this was

omatic suggestions involving the retirement of the young man to his room, which the latter accepted wit

circulation, was convinced that the apartment was oppress

t fell to the floor the curious tale contained in its pred

ith all the abandon of his condition, hastened to remove the oil paper from the rear of