KA>"DY AND POINT DE GALLE. 289 



stone was positively the worst of its kind I ever saw, having in its 

 interior, near the apex, a large opaque blur, like a cataract in an 

 eye, which was visible as far as the stone itself. My close examina- 

 tion of this really curious fault misled Mr. Joonoos into thinking I 

 had fallen in love with the gem (!) and he immediately assured me 

 most earnestly that it was " the finest stone in Galle." I was at 

 first amazed at the impudence of the man, but light suddenly 

 dawned upon my mind as to his real character, and I determined 

 to take a hand in the Httle game. He urged me to buy the stone 

 and I said, "How much?" 



"Ten shillings per karet." I examined it more closely and ar- 

 rested the dealer's encomium by saying, " Weigh it, please, and let's 

 see how much it will cost." He weighed it. Nearly thirteen 

 karets. "About a hvmdred and thirty shillings," I said, musingly. 



"Yes, sir. That's cheap price, sir! Good estone." 



" It may be, but I would never give that for it." 



Instantly Mr. Joonoos became all eagerness and animation. 



" Well, sir, hniomuchyougive ? Yousayoneprice ! Hoiv much. ^" 



" Why, there's a flaw in the stone." 



" No, sir ! That's notaflaw ! That's good estone. Howmuch- 

 yougive ? You say one price." 



" Oh ! I've no idea what it's worth." 



]Mi\ Joonoos waxed more and more eager as I seemed to hesi- 

 tate. He leaned half-way across the table with the sapphire in his 

 hand and eyed me hke a rat. He took off his cap like a man labor- 

 ing hard, and then I saw what an ugly, jail-bird look he had when 

 his head was uncovered. His excitement at having found a victim, 

 and his eagerness to grasp the goodly roll of notes he saw almost 

 within his reach, made the perspiration run off his black scalp in 

 great drops ; but the room was cool and comfortable all the while. 



I tried to get him to talk of other gems. No, he had set his 

 lieart on selling me that particularly worthless stone, with the big 

 milky flaw in it, half as large as the entire stone, and it was ex- 

 asperating to see his eagerness to foist it upon me at thirteen shil- 

 ling per karet. Miserable liar that he was, he swore by all the 

 oaths that he knew, again and again, that that was the " finest stone 

 in Galle." At last I could stand it no longer and told him that the 

 stone was worthless and he knew it, and that furthermore I would 

 not give five shillings for it. He was utterly disgusted, and could 

 not conceal his disappointment, but he held his peace and ordered 



his young hopeful to bring other objects. I must have looked UU' 

 19 



