'I am.'
'You do not believe in a supernatural world?'
'My disbelief of it,' I said, 'is something more than an exercise of
the reason. It is a passion, an angry passion. But what should you do
with the cross if you were in my place?'
'Put it back in the tomb.'
I had great difficulty in suppressing my ridicule, but I merely said,
'That would be, as I have told you, to insure its being stolen
again.'
'There is the promise to the dead man or woman on whose breast it
lay.'
'This I intend to keep in the spirit like a reasonable man--not in
the letter like--'
'Promises to the dead must be kept to the letter, or no peace can
come to the bereaved heart. You are talking to a man who _knows_!'
'I will commit no such outrage upon reason as to place a priceless
jewel in a place where I know it will be stolen.'
'You _will_ replace the cross in that tomb.'
As he spoke he shook my hands warmly, and said, '_Au revoir_.
Remember, I shall always be delighted to see you.'
It was not till I saw him disappear amongst the crowd that I could
give way to the laughter which I had so much difficulty in
suppressing. What a relief it was to be able to do this!