"Ah, yes! Miss Vandeleur, you do," returned Fran j
cis; "better than I do myself. Indeed it is on that,
above all, that I seek light. Tell me what you know,"
he pleaded. "Tell me who I am, who you are, and
how our destinies are intermixed. Give me a little help
with my life, Miss Vandeleur only a word or two to
guide me, only the name of my father, if you will and
I shall be grateful and content."
" I will not attempt to deceive you," she replied. " 1
know who you are, but I am not at liberty to say."
"Tell me, at least, that you have forgiven my pre-
sumption, and I shall wait with all the patience I have,"
he said. " If I am not to know, I must do without. It
'73
NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS
is cruel, but I can bear more upon a push. Only do not
add to my troubles the thought that I have made an
enemy of you."
"You did only what was natural," she said, "and I
have nothing to forgive you. Farewell."
" Is it to be farewell ? " he asked.
"Nay, that I do not know myself," she answered.
" Farewell for the present, if you like."
And with these words she was gone.
Francis returned to his lodging in a state of consider-
able commotion of mind. He made the most trifling
progress with his Euclid for that forenoon, and was more
often at the window than at his improvised writing-
table. But beyond seeing the return of Miss Vandeleur,
and the meeting between her and her father, who was
smoking a Trichinopoli cigar in the veranda, there was
nothing notable in the neighbourhood of the house with
the green blinds before the time of the mid-day meal.
The young man hastily allayed his appetite in a neigh-
bouring restaurant, and returned with the speed of un-
allayed curiosity to the house in the Rue Lepic. A
mounted servant was leading a saddle-horse to and fro
before the garden wall ; and the porter of Francis's lodg-
ing was smoking a pipe against the door-post, absorbed
in contemplation of the livery and the steeds.
" Look! " he cried to the young man, "what fine cat-
tle! what an elegant costume! They belong to the
brother of M. de Vandeleur, who is now within upon
a visit. He is a great man, a general, in your country ;
and you doubtless know him well by reputation."
"I confess," returned Francis, "that I have never
heard of General Vandeleur before. We have many of-
'74
THE RAJAH'S DIAMOND
fleers of that grade, and my pursuits have been exclu-
sively civil."
"It is he," replied the porter, "who lost the great
diamond of the Indies. Of that at least you must have
read often in the papers."
As soon as Francis could disengage himself from the
porter he ran up stairs and hurried to the window. Im-
mediately below the clear space in the chestnut leaves,
the two gentlemen were seated in conversation over a
cigar. The General, a red, military-looking man, offered
some traces of a family resemblance to his brother; he
had something of the same features, something, although
very little, of the same free and powerful carriage ; but
he was older, smaller, and more common in air ; his
likeness was that of a caricature, and he seemed alto-
gether a poor and debile being by the side of the Dic-
tator.
They spoke in tones so low, leaning over the table
with every appearance of interest, that Francis could
catch no more than a word or two on an occasion. For
as little as he heard, he was convinced that the conver-
sation turned upon himself and his own career; several
times the name of Scrymgeour reached his ear, for it was
easy to distinguish, and still more frequently he fancied
he could distinguish the name Francis.
At length the General, as if in a hot anger, broke forth
into several violent exclamations.
" Francis Vandeleur! " he cried, accentuating the last
word. " Francis Vandeleur, I tell you."
The Dictator made a movement of his whole body,
half affirmative, half contemptuous, but his answer was
inaudible to the young man.
75
NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS
Was he the Francis Vandeleur in question ? he won-
dered. Were they discussing the name under which he
was to be married ? Or was the whole affair a dream and
a delusion of his own conceit and self-absorption ?
After another interval of inaudible talk, dissension
seemed again to arise between the couple underneath
the chestnut, and again the General raised his voice
angrily so as to be audible to Francis.
"My wife ? " he cried. " I have done with my wife
for good. I will not hear her name. I am sick of her
very name."
And he swore aloud and beat the table with his fist.
The Dictator appeared, by his gestures, to pacify him
after a paternal fashion ; and a little after he conducted
him to the garden-gate. The pair shook hands affec-
tionately enough; but as soon as the door had closed
behind his visitor, John Vandeleur fell into a fit of laugh-
ter which sounded unkindly and even devilish in the
ears of Francis Scrymgeour.
So another day had passed, and little more learnt. But
the young man remembered that the morrow was Tues-
day, and promised himself some curious discoveries ; all
might be well, or all might be ill ; he was sure, at least,
to glean some curious information, and, perhaps, by good
luck, get at the heart of the mystery which surrounded
his father and his family.
As the hour of the dinner drew near many preparations
were made in the garden of the house with the green
blinds. The table which was partly visible to Francis
through the chestnut leaves was destined to serve as a
sideboard, and carried relays of plates and the materials
for salad: the other, which was almost entirely con-
176
THE RAJAH'S DIAMOND
cealed, had been set apart for the diners, and Francis
could catch glimpses of white cloth and silver plate.
Mr. Rolles arrived, punctual to the minute; he looked
like a man upon his guard, and spoke low and sparingly.
The Dictator, on the other hand, appeared to enjoy an
unusual flow of spirits; his laugh, which was youthful
and pleasant to hear, sounded frequently from the gar-
den; by the modulation and the changes of his voice it
was obvious that he told many droll stories and imitated
the accents of a variety of different nations; and before
he and the young clergyman had finished their vermouth
all feeling of distrust was at an end, and they were talk-
ing together like a pair of school companions.
At length Miss Vandeleur made her appearance, car-
rying the soup-tureen. Mr. Rolles ran to offer her assis-
tance, which she laughingly refused; and there was an
interchange of pleasantries among the trio which seemed
to have reference to this primitive manner of waiting by
one of the company.
"One is more at one's ease," Mr. Vandeleur was
heard to declare.
Next moment they were all three in their places, and
Francis could see as little as he could hear of what passed ;
but the dinner seemed to go merrily; there was a per-
petual babble of voices and sound of knives and forks
below the chestnut; and Francis, who had no more than
a roll to gnaw, was affected with envy by the comfort
and deliberation of the meal. The party lingered over
one dish after another, and then over a delicate dessert,
with a bottle of old wine carefully uncorked by the hand
of the Dictator himself. As it began to grow dark a
lamp was set upon the table and a couple of candles on
'77
NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS
the sideboard ; for the night was perfectly pure, starry,
and windless. Light overflowed besides from the door
and window in the veranda, so that the garden was fairly
illuminated and the leaves twinkled in the darkness.
For perhaps the tenth time Miss Vandeleur entered
the house; and on this occasion she returned with the
coffee tray, which she placed upon the sideboard. At
the same moment her father rose from his seat.
"The coffee is my province," Francis heard him say.
And next moment he saw his supposed father stand-
ing by the sideboard in the light of the candles.
Talking over his shoulder all the while, Mr. Vande-
leur poured out two cups of the brown stimulant, and
then, by a rapid act of prestidigitation, emptied the con-
tents of a tiny phial into the smaller one of the two.
The thing was so swiftly done that even Francis, who
looked straight into his face, had hardly time to perceive
the movement before it was completed. And next in-
stant, and still laughing, Mr. Vandeleur had turned
again towards the table with a cup in either hand.
" We have done with this," said he, "we may expect
our famous Hebrew."
It would be impossible to depict the confusion and
distress of Francis Scrymgeour. He saw foul play going
forward before his eyes, and he felt bound to interfere,
but knew not how. It might be a mere pleasantry, and
then how should he look if he were to offer an unneces-
sary warning ? Or again, if it were serious, the crimi-
nal might be his own father, and then how should he
not lament if he were to bring ruin on the author of his
days ? For the first time he became conscious of his own
position as a spy. To wait inactive at such a juncture
178
THE RAJAH'S DIAMOND
and with such a conflict of sentiments in his bosom was
to suffer the most acute torture; he clung to the bars
of the shutters, his heart beat fast and with irregularity,
and he felt a strong sweat break forth upon his body.
Several minutes passed.
He seemed to perceive the conversation die away and
grow less and less in vivacity and volume ; but still no
sign of any alarming or even notable event.
Suddenly the ring of a glass breaking was followed
by a faint and dull sound, as of a person who should
have fallen forward with his head upon the table. At the
same moment a piercing scream rose from the garden.
' ' What have you done ? " cried Miss Vandeleur. ' ' He
is dead! "
The Dictator replied in a violent whisper, so strong
and sibilant that every word was audible to the watcher
at the window.
"Silence!" said Mr. Vandeleur; " the man is as well
as I am. Take him by the heels whilst I carry him by
the shoulders."
Francis heard Miss Vandeleur break forth into a pas-
sion of tears.
" Do you hear what I say ?" resumed the Dictator, in
the same tones. " Or do you wish to quarrel with me ?
I give you your choice, Miss Vandeleur."
There was another pause, and the Dictator spoke
again.
"Take that man by the heels," he said. "I must
have him brought into the house. If I were a little
younger, I could help myself against the world. But
now that years and dangers are upon me and my hands
are weakened, I must turn to you for aid."
'79
NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS
" It is a crime," replied the girl.
" I am your father," said Mr. Vandeleur.
This appeal seemed to produce its effect. A scuffling
noise followed upon the gravel, a chair was overset, and
then Francis saw the father and daughter stagger across
the walk and disappear under the veranda, bearing the
inanimate body of Mr. Rolles embraced about the knees
and shoulders. The young clergyman was limp and
pallid, and his head rolled upon his shoulders at every
step.
Was he alive or dead ? Francis, in spite of the Dic-
tator's declaration, inclined to the latter view. A great
crime had been committed ; a great calamity had fallen
upon the inhabitants of the house with the green blinds.
To his surprise, Francis found all horror for the deed
swallowed up in sorrow for a girl and an old man whom
he judged to be in the height of peril. A tide of gener-
ous feeling swept into his heart; he, too, would help his
father against man and mankind, against fate and jus-
tice ; and casting open the shutters he closed his eyes
and threw himself with outstretched arms into the foli-
age of the chestnut.
Branch after branch slipped from his grasp or broke
under his weight; then he caught a stalwart bough un-
der his armpit, and hung suspended for a second; and
then he let himself drop and fell heavily against the
table. A cry of alarm from the house warned him that
his entrance had not been effected unobserved. He re-
covered himself with a stagger, and in three bounds
crossed the intervening space and stood before the door
in the veranda.
In a small apartment, carpeted with matting and sur-
180
THE RAJAH'S DIAMOND
rounded by glazed cabinets full of rare and costly curios,
Mr. Vandeleur was stooping over the body of Mr. Rolles.
He raised himself as Francis entered, and there was an
instantaneous passage of hands. It was the business of
a second ; as fast as an eye can wink the thing was done ;
the young man had not the time to be sure, but it seemed
to him as if the Dictator had taken something from the
curate's breast, looked at it for the least fraction of time
as it lay in his hand, and then suddenly and swiftly
passed it to his daughter.
All this was over while Francis had still one foot upon
the threshold, and the other raised in air. The next in-
stant he was on his knees to Mr. Vandeleur.
" Father! " he cried. " Let me too help you. I will
do what you wish and ask no questions ; I will obey
you with my life ; treat me as a son, and you will find
I have a son's devotion."
A deplorable explosion of oaths was the Dictator's
first reply.
"Son and Father?" he cried. "Father and son?
What d d unnatural comedy is all this ? How do
you come in my garden ? What do you want ? And
who, in God's name, are you ?"
Francis, with a stunned and shamefaced aspect, got
upon his feet again, and stood in silence.
Then a light seemed to break upon Mr. Vandeleur,
and he laughed aloud.
"I see," cried he. " It 's the Scrymgeour. Very well,
Mr. Scrymgeour. Let me tell you in a few words how
you stand. You have entered my private residence by
force, or perhaps by fraud, but certainly with no encou-
ragement from me; and you come at a moment of some
181
NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS
annoyance, a guest having fainted at my table, to be-
siege me with your protestations. You are no son of
mine. You are my brother's bastard by a fishwife, if
you want to know. I regard you with an indifference
closely bordering on aversion ; and from what I now see
of your conduct, I judge your mind to be exactly suit-
able to your exterior. I recommend you these mortify-
ing reflections for your leisure ; and, in the meantime,
let me beseech you to rid us of your presence. If I were
not occupied," added the Dictator, with a terrifying oath,
"I should give you the unholiest drubbing ere you
went!"
Francis listened in profound humiliation. He would
have fled had it been possible ; but as he had no means
of leaving the residence into which he had so unfor-
tunately penetrated, he could do no more than stand
foolishly where he was.
It was Miss Vandeleur who broke the silence.
" Father," she said, " you speak in anger. Mr. Scrym-
geour may have been mistaken, but he meant well and
kindly."
"Thank you for speaking," returned the Dictator.
"You remind me of some other observations which I
hold it a point of honour to make to Mr. Scrymgeour.
My brother," he continued, addressing the young man,
"has been foolish enough to give you an allowance; he
was foolish enough and presumptuous enough to pro-
pose a match between you and this young lady. You
were exhibited to her two nights ago ; and I rejoice to
tell you that she rejected the idea with disgust. Let me
add that I have considerable influence with your father;
and it shall not be my fault if you are not beggared of
i8a
THE RAJAH'S DIAMOND
your allowance and sent back to your scrivening ere the
week be out."
The tones of the old man's voice were, if possible,
more wounding than his language ; Francis felt himself
exposed to the most cruel, blighting, and unbearable
contempt; his head turned, and he covered his face with
his hands, uttering at the same time a tearless sob of
agony. But Miss Vandeleur once again interfered in his
behalf.
"Mr. Scrymgeour," she said, speaking in clear and
even tones, "you must not be concerned at my father's
harsh expressions. I felt no disgust for you; on the
contrary, I asked an opportunity to make your better
acquaintance. As for what has passed to-night, believe
me it has filled my mind with both pity and esteem."
Just then Mr. Rolles made a convulsive movement
with his arm, which convinced Francis that he was only
drugged, and was beginning to throw off the influence
of the opiate. Mr. Vandeleur stooped over him and
examined his face for an instant.
"Come, come!" cried he, raising his head. "Let
there be an end of this. And since you are so pleased
with his conduct, Miss Vandeleur, take a candle and
show the bastard out."
The young lady hastened to obey.
"Thank you," said Francis, as soon as he was alone
with her in the garden. "I thank you from my soul.
This has been the bitterest evening of my life, but it will
have always one pleasant recollection."
"I spoke as I felt," she replied, "and in justice to
you. It made my heart sorry that you should be so
unkindly used."
183
NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS
By this time they had reached the garden gate; and
Miss Vandeleur, having set the candle on the ground,
was already unfastening the bolts.
"One word more," said Francis. "This is not for
the last time I shall see you again, shall I not?"
"Alas ! " she answered. " You have heard my father.
What can I do but obey ? "
"Tell me at least that it is not with your consent,"
returned Francis; " tell me that you have no wish to see
the last of me."
"Indeed," replied she, "I have none. You seem to
me both brave and honest."
"Then," said Francis, "give me a keepsake."
She paused for a moment, with her hand upon the
key ; for the various bars and bolts were all undone, and
there was nothing left but to open the lock.
"If I agree," she said, "will you promise to do as I
tell you from point to point ? "
"Can you ask?" replied Francis. "I would do so
willingly on your bare word."
She turned the key and threw open the door.
"Be it so," said she. " You do not know what you
ask, but be it so. Whatever you hear," she continued,
"whatever happens, do not return to this house; hurry
fast until you reach the lighted and populous quarters
of the city ; even there be upon your guard. You are
in a greater danger than you fancy. Promise me you
will not so much as look at my keepsake until you are
in a place of safety."
"I promise," replied Francis.
She put something loosely wrapped in a handkerchief
into the young man's hand; and at the same time, with
184
THE RAJAH'S DIAMOND
more strength than he could have anticipated, she pushed
him into the street
"Now run ! " she cried.
He heard the door close behind him, and the noise of
the bolts being replaced.
"My faith," said he, "since I have promised! "
And he took to his heels down the iane that leads into
the Rue Ravignan.
He was not fifty paces from the house with the green
blinds when the most diabolical outcry suddenly arose
out of the stillness of the night. Mechanically he stood
still; another passenger followed his example; in the
neighbouring floors he saw people crowding to the win-
dows; a conflagration could not have produced more
disturbance in this empty quarter. And yet it seemed
to be all the work of a single man, roaring between
grief and rage, like a lioness robbed of her whelps; and
Francis was surprised and alarmed to hear his own name
shouted with English imprecations to the wind.
His first movement was to return to the house; his
second, as he remembered Miss Vandeleur's advice, to
continue his flight with greater expedition than before;
and he was in the act of turning to put his thought in
action, when the Dictator, bareheaded, bawling aloud,
his white hair blowing about his head, shot past him like
a ball out of the cannon's mouth, and went careering
down the street.
"That was a close shave," thought Francis to him-
self. " What he wants with me, and why he should be
so disturbed, 1 cannot think ; but he is plainly not good
company for the moment, and I cannot do better than
follow Miss Vandeleur's advice."
185
NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS
So saying, he turned to retrace his steps, thinking to
double and descend by the Rue Lepic itself while his
pursuer should continue to follow after him on the other
line of street. The plan was ill-advised : as a matter of
fact, he should have taken his seat in the nearest cafe,
and waited there until the first heat of the pursuit was
over. But besides that Francis had no experience and
little natural aptitude for the small war of private life, he
was so unconscious of any evil on his part, that he saw
nothing to fear beyond a disagreeable interview. And
to disagreeable interviews he felt he had already served
his apprenticeship that evening; nor could he suppose
that Miss Vandeleur had left anything unsaid. Indeed,
the young man was sore both in body and mind the
one was all bruised, the other was full of smarting ar-
rows ; and he owned to himself that Mr. Vandeleur was
master of a very deadly tongue.
The thought of his bruises reminded him that he
had not only come without a hat, but that his clothes
had considerably suffered in his descent through the
chestnut. At the first magazine he purchased a cheap
wideawake, and had the disorder of his toilet summa-
rily repaired. The keepsake, still rolled in the hand-
kerchief, he thrust in the meanwhile into his trousers
pocket.
Not many steps beyond the shop he was conscious of
a sudden shock, a hand upon his throat, an infuriated
face close to his own, and an open mouth bawling
curses in his ear. The Dictator, having found no trace
of his quarry, was returning by the other way. Francis
was a stalwart young fellow ; but he was no match for
his adversary whether in strength or skill; and after a
186
THE RAJAH'S DIAMOND
few ineffectual struggles he resigned himself entirely to
his captor.
"What do you want with me ?"
"We will talk of that at home," returned the Dic-
tator, grimly.
And he continued to march the young man up hill in
the direction of the house with the green blinds.
But Francis, although he no longer struggled, was
only waiting an opportunity to make a bold push for
freedom. With a sudden jerk he left the collar of his
coat in the hands of Mr. Vandeleur, and once more
made off at his best speed in the direction of the Boule-
vards.
The tables were now turned. If the Dictator was the
stronger, Francis, in the top of his youth, was the more
fleet of foot, and he had soon effected his escape among
the crowds. Relieved for a moment, but with a grow-
ing sentiment of alarm and wonder in his mind, he
walked briskly until he debouched upon the Place de
1'Opera, lit up like day with electric lamps.
"This, at least," thought he, "should satisfy Miss
Vandeleur."
And turning to his right along the Boulevards, he
entered the Cafe Americain and ordered some beer. It
was both late and early for the majority of the frequenters
of the establishment. Only two or three persons, all
men, were dotted here and there at separate tables in
the hall; and Francis was too much occupied by his
own thoughts to observe their presence.
He drew the handkerchief from his pocket. The ob-
ject wrapped in it proved to be a morocco case, clasped
and ornamented in gilt, which opened by means of a
187
NEW ARABIAN NIGHTS
spring, and disclosed to the horrified young man a dia-
mond of monstrous bigness and extraordinary brilliancy.
The circumstance was so inexplicable, the value of the
stone was plainly so enormous, that Francis sat staring
into the open casket without movement, without con-
scious thought, like a man stricken suddenly with
idiocy.
A hand was laid upon his shoulder, lightly but firmly,
and a quiet voice, which yet had in it the ring of com-
mand, uttered these words in his ear :
"Close the casket, and compose your face."
Looking up, he beheld a man, still young, of an ur-
bane and tranquil presence, and dressed with rich sim-
plicity. This personage had risen from a neighbouring
table, and bringing his glass with him, had taken a seat
beside Francis.
" Close the casket," replied the stranger, "and put it
quietly back into your pocket, where I feel persuaded
it should never have been. Try, if you please, to throw
off your bewildered air, and act as though I were one of
your acquaintances whom you had met by chance. So !
Touch glasses with me. That is better, i fear, sir, you
must be an amateur. "
And the stranger pronounced these last words with a
smile of peculiar meaning, leaned back in his seat and
enjoyed a deep inhalation of tobacco.
" For God's sake," said Francis, "tell me who you are
and what this means ? Why I should obey your most