I79I' MELAI, A TALE. 35 



Old Man. Deliberately. 



Mel. And what it will coll you ? two thoufand byzaii- 

 tlnes. 



Old Man. That alfo I have thought on, 

 1 Mel. And if I were prevailed upon to undertake what 

 you wilh for, ■ what certainty .could you give me that I 

 fhouid not labour in vain ? ' 



Old Man. This ftone ftiould be your fecurity. 

 , While he faid this, he drew a ring from his finger, which, 

 exclufive of all that had hitherto paffed between them, would 

 alone have been fufRcient to ftrike the artift with aftonifli- 

 inent. It could not indeed, now be called a ring 

 with propriety, as it was only the focket of what had for- 

 merly been one ; in which, however, there ftill continued 

 fome remains of its ancient fplendor. The fize of the fpaces, 

 which were now empty, teftified fufficiently of what value it 

 i had been ; and this was ftill more ftrongly confirmed by 

 the two ftones, which were yet left. The artift, who was 

 no ftranger to the value of jewels, eftimated one of them at 

 about four thoufand ducats, and the other about half as 

 much. 



He could no longer reftrain his curiofity and aftonifli- 

 ment. — Old man, faid he, (fpringing up and carefully fiiut- 

 ting the door), old man, I intreat thee to tell me immedi- 

 ately who thou art, and what is thy defire ? 



" What I defire, you know already ; — but to difcover 

 who I am, requires fome deliberation. — I muft firft have an 

 oath of inviolable fecrecy." 



Mel. That you ihall have. — I am not, indeed, much ac- 

 cuftomed to fwearing, unlels upon matters of the higheft 

 importance ; and I fhouid even imagine, that my unble- 

 milhed reputation would of itfelf be fuflicient to prevent any 

 fufpicion . 



OJd Man. It is not your reputation, however unqueftion- 

 able, but that voice of integrity with which you appeal to 

 it, which has already perluaded me that an oath is unne- 

 celTary. — If you have an apartment where we can be more 

 private, and lefs expofed to the danger of interruption, lead 

 me to it, and your curiofity fliall be fatisfied. 



Melonion immediately complied with his requeft j an4, 

 after they were feated, the ftranger began thus : 



E 2 



