Moonfleet, John Meade Falkner [intellectual books to read txt] 📗

jewellers had no shops, though sometimes they set a single necklace or bracelet in a bottom window, but put up notices proclaiming their trade. Thus there was over Aldobrand’s door a board stuck out to say that he bought and sold jewels, and would lend money on diamonds or other valuables.

A sturdy serving-man opened the door, and when he heard our business was to sell a jewel, left us in a stone-floored hall or lobby, while he went upstairs to ask whether his master would see us. A few minutes later the stairs creaked, and Aldobrand himself came down. He was a little wizened man with yellow skin and deep wrinkles, not less than seventy years old; and I saw he wore shoes of polished leather, silver-buckled, and tilted-heeled to add to his stature. He began speaking to us from the landing, not coming down into the hall, but leaning over the handrail:

“Well, my sons, what would you with me? I hear you have a jewel to sell, but you must know I do not purchase sailors’ flotsam. So if ’tis a moonstone or catseye, or some pinhead diamonds, keep them to make brooches for your sweethearts, for Aldobrand buys no toys like that.”

He had a thin and squeaky voice, and spoke to us in our own tongue, guessing no doubt that we were English from our faces. ’Twas true he handled the language badly enough, yet I was glad he used it, for so I could follow all that was said.

“No toys like that,” he said again, repeating his last words, and Elzevir answered: “May it please your worship, we are sailors from over sea, and this boy has a diamond that he would sell.”

I had the gem in my hand all ready, and when the old man squeaked peevishly, “Out with it then, let’s see, let’s see,” I reached it out to him. He stretched down over the banisters, and took it; holding out his palm hollowed, as if ’twas some little paltry stone that might otherwise fall and be lost. It nettled me to have him thus underrate our treasure, even though he had never seen it, and so I plumped it down into his hand as if it were as big as a pumpkin. Now the hall was a dim place, being lit only by a half-circle of glass over the door, and so I could not see very well; yet in reaching down he brought his head near mine, and I could swear his face changed when he felt the size of the stone in his hand, and turned from impatience and contempt to wonder and delight. He took the jewel quickly from his palm, and held it up between finger and thumb, and when he spoke again, his voice was changed as well as his face, and had lost most of the sharp impatience.

“There is not light enough to see in this dark place⁠—follow me,” and he turned back and went upstairs rapidly, holding the stone in his hand; and we close at his heels, being anxious not to lose sight of him now that he had our diamond, for all he was so rich and well known a man.

Thus we came to another landing, and there he flung open the door of a room which looked out west, and had the light of the setting sun streaming in full flood through the window. The change from the dimness of the stairs to this level red blaze was so quick that for a minute I could make out nothing, but turning my back to the window saw presently that the room was panelled all through with painted wood, with a bed let into the wall on one side, and shelves round the others, on which were many small coffers and strongboxes of iron. The jeweller was sitting at a table with his face to the sun, holding the diamond up against the light, and gazing into it closely, so that I could see every working of his face. The hard and cunning look had come back to it, and he turned suddenly upon me and asked quite sharply, “What is your name, boy? Whence do you come?”

Now I was not used to walk under false names, and he took me unawares, so I must needs blurt out, “My name is John Trenchard, sir, and I come from Moonfleet, in Dorset.”

A second later I could have bitten off my tongue for having said as much, and saw Elzevir frowning at me to make me hold my peace. But ’twas too late then, for the merchant was writing down my answer in a parchment ledger. And though it would seem to most but a little thing that he should thus take down my name and birthplace, and only vexed us at the time, because we would not have it known at all whence we came; yet in the overrulings of Providence it was ordered that this note in Mr. Aldobrand’s book should hereafter change the issue of my life.

“From Moonfleet, in Dorset,” he repeated to himself, as he finished writing my answer. “And how did John Trenchard come by this?” and he tapped the diamond as it lay on the table before him.

Then Elzevir broke in quickly, fearing no doubt lest I should be betrayed into saying more: “Nay, sir, we are not come to play at questions and answers, but to know whether your worship will buy this diamond, and at what price. We have no time to tell long histories, and so must only say that we are English sailors, and that the stone is fairly come by.” And he let his fingers play with the diamond on the table, as if he feared it might slip away from him.

“Softly, softly,” said the old man; “all stones are fairly come by; but had you told me whence you got this, I might have spared myself some tedious tests, which now I must crave pardon for