_It was a ruby, the most beautiful I had ever seen, and about the
bigness of a pigeon's egg._
At the sight of this prodigious jewel I was so disturbed in my spirits
that I trembled as though with an ague, while the sweat started out of
my forehead in great drops. "For the love of the Lord, put it up, man!"
I cried, so soon as I could find breath and wits.
There was something in my voice that must have frightened Mr. Longways,
for he looked mightily disturbed and taken aback; but he presently tried
to pass it off for a jest. "Come, come," says he, as he wrapped up the
stone in the soft leather again--"come, come; it's all between friend
and friend, and no harm done." But to this I answered not a word, but
began walking up and down the cabin, so affected by what I had seen that
I could neither recover my spirits nor regain my composure. The more I
thought over the business the less I liked it; for if anything should
now happen to the stone, and it should be lost, every suspicion would
fall upon me, since I was possessed of the knowledge of the value of
that which was given into my charge. I could not but marvel at the
foolish and magpie vanity of Mr. Longways that should thus lead him to
betray to an unknown stranger what even I, though so ignorant of the
value of such gems, could easily perceive was a vast incalculable
treasure such as would make any one man rich for a whole lifetime; and
even to this very day it is a matter of admiration to me why the East
India Company should have put such a man in a place of important trust,
the only reason that I can assign being that no better man could be
found to take the agency in that place.
"Look'ee," said I, turning to him suddenly, "have you told of this
jewel, this Rose of Paradise, to any one else?"
"Why--" says he; and then he stopped, and began gnawing his nether lip
in a peevish fashion.
"Come, come," says I, "speak out plain, Master Longways, for this is no
time for dilly-dallying."
"Well," says he, blurting out his words, "I did say something of it to
Captain Leach, who, I would have you know, is a gentleman, and a man of
honor into the bargain."
"And tell me," said I, paying no attention to his braggadocio air, "did
you show the stone to him also?"
He looked up and down, as though not knowing what to say.
"Come, come, sir," said I, sternly, after waiting for a moment or two
and he not answering me--"come, come, sir, I should like to have an
answer, if you please. You will recollect that this trust now concerns
not only you, but also myself, and if anything happens to the jewel I
will be called upon to answer for it as well as yourself; so, as I said,
you will answer my question."
"Why," says he, "Master Captain, and what if I did? Do you mean to
impeach the honor of Captain Leach? I did show it to him one day when we
stopped along the beach for water, if you must be told; but I can
promise you that not another soul but yourself has seen it since I gave
King Coffee my written receipt for it."
I made no more comment, but began again to walk up and down the cabin,
vastly disturbed in my mind by all that I heard. Nothing could be gained
by blaming the poor fool, who all this time sat watching me with a
mightily troubled and disquieted face. "Sir," said I, at last, turning
to him--"sir, I do not believe that you know what a serious piece of
folly you have committed in this business. By rights I should have
nothing more to do with the matter, but should leave you to settle it
with the Company as you choose; but my instructions were to deliver the
stone at Bombay, and I will undertake to do my part to the best of my
power. I have nothing of blame to say to you, but I must tell you plain
that I cannot have you longer about my ship; I do not wish to order you
to leave, but I will be vastly obliged to you if you can return to the
king's town without longer stay."
At this address Mr. Longways grew very red in the face. "Sir! sir!" he
cried, "do you dare to order me, an agent of the East India Company, to
leave one of that Company's own ships?"
"That," said I, "you must salt to suit your own taste."
"Very well!" cried he; "give me a receipt for the stone and I'll go,
though I tell you plain that the Company shall hear of the fashion in
which you have been pleased to treat me."
I made no further answer to his words, but sat down and wrote out the
receipt, specifying, however, the manner in which The Rose of Paradise
had been shown both to Captain Leach and to myself.
For a while Mr. Longways hotly refused to accept it in the form in which
it was writ; but finding that he could get no better, and that he would
either have to accept of it or retain the stone in his own keeping until
some further opportunity offered for consigning it to Bombay, he was
finally fain to take what he could get, whereupon he folded up the paper
and thrust it into his pocket, and then left the cabin with a vast show
of dignity, and without so much as looking at me or saying a word to me.
He and the chiefs got into the great canoe, and rowed away whence they
had come, and I saw no more of him until above a week afterwards, of
which I shall have more to say further on in my narration.