THE JEWELS.
IT was no small surprise to Lady Waterville when we presented ourselves
in George Street that evening, and it was no small relief to us to find
her alone. She kissed me several times, cried a little over my thin
cheeks, called me a fool, and expressed her gladness at seeing me again
in the same breath. All the while that this scene was being enacted,
Ronald, bursting with impatience, was standing with the album under his
arm.
"'Why don't you sit down, Ronald?" she suddenly demanded. "You look
like a tax collector standing there with your red book."
"There is something in the red book that I want to show you, Lady
Waterville," he replied.
"Oh, I don't want to look at books," she said, patting my hand, which
she still held. "What I do want is to talk to your wife, now that I
have got her back again."
"But do listen, dear," I entreated. "We have a wonderful tale to tell.
I suppose you won't believe us when we assure you that we know where to
look for Inez Greystock's diamonds?"
She did at first declare that she would not believe us; but then,
growing interested in spite of herself, she let us read to her the
lines in the album, and the directions written on the parchment label.
Still protesting that the whole thing was a delusion and a snare, and
assuring us that Inez had been half crazed for years, she at last
consented that we should make our investigation.
"Of course you must let Cox help you to move the portrait, Ronald," she
said, reluctantly. "Poor Cox, he is getting old and stiff, like his
mistress, and he doesn't care about exerting himself. But young people
won't be satisfied unless we indulge their whims."
"I will make it worth Cox's while to indulge my whim," said Ronald,
quietly.
So the elderly butler was summoned, and then we all three went
downstairs into the dining-room.
It was now past eight o'clock, and the shutters were already closed for
the night. The large room, always sombre even in sunshine, was only
faintly lit by two candles in tall silver candlesticks, and looked
cheerless and dim. I glanced up at the beautiful face of Inez, and
fancied that her pensive eyes were watching us steadily in the gloom.
The picture was large, and the frame was massive and heavy. Lady
Waterville, looking on with a resigned air, expressed her conviction
that nothing but a pair of broken heads would be the result of this
freak. But I, leaning on the back of her chair, and anxiously watching
the movements of my husband and the butler, felt no fears about the end.
No sooner had I entered the dim room, and lifted my eyes to the
portrait, than I recalled a strange dream of mine. I had dreamed
it when I dozed over my darning by Ronald's bedside. And once more
in fancy, I saw the flash of the glittering jewels on my neck, and
believed that very soon I should see them with my bodily sight.
That dream had come to me while I was sitting by the bedroom fire, and
wondering, with a perturbed heart, how my husband and I were to face
the coming days. If it was to be realised to-night, I was thankful
that its fulfilment had been delayed. The time of our tribulation is
needed to prepare us for the time of our wealth; and it often fares ill
with those who are made suddenly rich without having first felt the
chastening hand of sorrow.
Slowly and carefully the two men lifted the picture from the strong
supports that kept it in its place; and then I left Lady Waterville,
and went to my husband's side.
Where the picture had hung, the oaken wall was veiled with dust, and
I, with a steady hand, began to clear those dusty panels with my
handkerchief.
"The girl is crazed," said Lady Waterville from her chair. "Why can't
somebody bring a cloth?"
But we could not wait for a cloth to be brought. As I wiped the dust
away, Ronald held one of the candles near the wall, and presently an
exclamation broke involuntarily from us both. We had found a red spot
on one of the panels.
Then I pressed my two hands hard upon the panel, and it yielded to my
efforts with a slight creaking sound. Cox drew nearer and held up the
other candle.
The light shone only a little way into the darkness of the cavity; but,
without an instant's hesitation, I thrust my hand and arm into the
hollow place.
When I drew it forth again, the hand was black with the dust of years,
and I was grasping a stout, leather-covered box, about the size of
a small desk. The box had brass handles, and it was by one of these
handles that I had dragged it out of the hole where it had lain for
nearly half a lifetime.
"I don't believe there is anything but rubbish in it!" cried Lady
Waterville, incredulous to the last.
The box was placed upon the long dining-table, and we all gathered
round and tried to open it. Cox did us good service with his strong
pocket-knife, and succeeded in forcing up the lid.
The first thing that we then saw was a layer of cotton-wool, which was
instantly removed by my dirty fingers. And then there was a subdued
shout from three throats—a shout which made Lady Waterville get up from
her chair with more agility than she had ever displayed in her life.
There, brighter than I had ever seen them in my vision, lay Inez
Greystock's diamonds; so large, so intensely brilliant, that they
seemed to carry us back to the days of Sinbad the Sailor. At the
sight of them, Lady Waterville immediately became a partaker of the
general ecstasy, and so exhausted herself with unwonted raptures and
exclamations that she had to lean on Ronald's shoulder for support.
I have only a confused recollection of all that followed. There is an
impression on my mind that we all fell to embracing each other in the
wildest way, and that Cox shook hands with me over and over again.
After that, he went out into the moonlit square, and hilariously hailed
a hansom; and Ronald and I drove home with our booty.
I do not think the discovery had taken any serious effect on our
heads, for we were both quite composed when the cab set us down in
Chapel Place. Nurse met us in the entry, and when we had wished her
good-night, we locked ourselves into our rooms, and took a long, long
look at our treasures.
And then Ronald would not be satisfied till he had decked me out in all
the diamonds, and made me stand before the glass to survey myself. Let
no one say, after my experience, that dreams never come true. They do
come true (not always, but now and then), and this assertion has been
proved in other lives as well as mine.
As my husband insisted on sleeping with the diamonds under his pillow,
it was a marvel to me that he had a good-night's rest, for jewels are
not comfortable things to sleep upon. I was at first somewhat tormented
by the fear of midnight robbers and assassins, but weariness soon
prevailed over excitement, and I slumbered soundly till morning.
When I awoke, it was very difficult to believe that the events of the
past night had not taken place in a dream. But there was the leather
box with Ronald mounting guard over it, and we both decided that it
must be deposited in a place of security without the least delay. It
is a pleasant thing to be the proud possessor of diamonds of immense
value, but by no means pleasant to spend all one's time in watching
them. Ronald declared himself quite tired of his charge already.
Moreover nurse, although she rejoiced with us heartily enough, was
obviously uneasy in mind. She had no sooner had a view of the gems than
she went to the hall door and looked for the "suspicious characters"
that were sure to be watching the house.
"We are none of us safe an hour, sir, while those things are under this
roof," she said, solemnly. "And if you don't take 'em straight to the
Horse Guards, or the Tower, or the Bank of England, you may depend on
having all our throats cut before night."
So our landlord whistled for a hansom, and we watched Ronald and the
diamonds getting into it, and then stood at the door to see it turn the
corner.
"Look at that man standing near the church, ma'am," said nurse, in an
appalling whisper. "Did you see him a-fastening of his eyes on the box?
It would be a good deed to call the police, and have him taken up this
moment."
I suggested that it was difficult to give a man into custody for using
his eyes. But nurse's portentous words were not without an effect, and
I had rather a bad time till the afternoon brought Ronald back.
The diamonds were safe in the strong-room of our bank, and my husband
had made an appointment with a dealer in precious stones, who would go
to see them early on the next day. I did not feel the least desire to
keep any of the gems for myself; the sooner they were turned into money
the better for Ronald and me.
"When we have paid all that we owe," I said, "there will not be a
single burden on my mind. And, whatever happens, we will never, never
get into debt again."
I have always been of Mr. Ruskin's opinion, that it is better to starve
and go to heaven than to buy things that you can't pay for. And I found
that my husband had come round to my way of thinking.
We spent the rest of that day happily and quietly. The guitar was not
forgotten, and Ronald sang our mysterious melody again and again. Never
had his voice sounded sweeter to me, and never had I felt so perfect a
sense of security and peace.
So the night closed in upon Chapel Place; and two fond hearts,
reunited, rejoiced in their newly found happiness.
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