The Jew's Breastplate
My particular friend, Ward Mortimer, was one of the best men of his dayat everything connected with Oriental archaeology. He had writtenlargely upon the subject, he had lived two years in a tomb at Thebes,while he excavated in the Valley of the Kings, and finally he hadcreated a considerable sensation by his exhumation of the alleged mummyof Cleopatra in the inner room of the Temple of Horus, at Philae. Withsuch a record at the age of thirty-one, it was felt that a considerablecareer lay before him, and no one was surprised when he was elected tothe curatorship of the Belmore Street Museum, which carries with it thelectureship at the Oriental College, and an income which has sunk withthe fall in land, but which still remains at that ideal sum which islarge enough to encourage an investigator, but not so large as toenervate him.
There was only one reason which made Ward Mortimer's position a littledifficult at the Belmore Street Museum, and that was the extremeeminence of the man whom he had to succeed. Professor Andreas was aprofound scholar and a man of European reputation. His lectures werefrequented by students from every part of the world, and his admirablemanagement of the collection intrusted to his care was a commonplace inall learned societies. There was, therefore, considerable surprisewhen, at the age of fifty-five, he suddenly resigned his position andretired from those duties which had been both his livelihood and hispleasure. He and his daughter left the comfortable suite of roomswhich had formed his official residence in connection with the museum,and my friend, Mortimer, who was a bachelor, took up his quarters there.
On hearing of Mortimer's appointment Professor Andreas had written hima very kindly and flattering congratulatory letter. I was actuallypresent at their first meeting, and I went with Mortimer round themuseum when the Professor showed us the admirable collection which hehad cherished so long. The Professor's beautiful daughter and a youngman, Captain Wilson, who was, as I understood, soon to be her husband,accompanied us in our inspection. There were fifteen rooms, but theBabylonian, the Syrian, and the central hall, which contained theJewish and Egyptian collection, were the finest of all. ProfessorAndreas was a quiet, dry, elderly man, with a clean-shaven face and animpassive manner, but his dark eyes sparkled and his features quickenedinto enthusiastic life as he pointed out to us the rarity and thebeauty of some of his specimens. His hand lingered so fondly overthem, that one could read his pride in them and the grief in his heartnow that they were passing from his care into that of another.
He had shown us in turn his mummies, his papyri, his rare scarabs, hisinscriptions, his Jewish relics, and his duplication of the famousseven-branched candlestick of the Temple, which was brought to Rome byTitus, and which is supposed by some to be lying at this instant in thebed of the Tiber. Then he approached a case which stood in the verycentre of the hall, and he looked down through the glass with reverencein his attitude and manner.
"This is no novelty to an expert like yourself, Mr. Mortimer," said he;"but I daresay that your friend, Mr. Jackson, will be interested to seeit."
Leaning over the case I saw an object, some five inches square, whichconsisted of twelve precious stones in a framework of gold, with goldenhooks at two of the corners. The stones were all varying in sort andcolour, but they were of the same size. Their shapes, arrangement, andgradation of tint made me think of a box of water-colour paints. Eachstone had some hieroglyphic scratched upon its surface.
"You have heard, Mr. Jackson, of the urim and thummim?"
I had heard the term, but my idea of its meaning was exceedingly vague.
"The urim and thummim was a name given to the jewelled plate which layupon the breast of the high priest of the Jews. They had a veryspecial feeling of reverence for it--something of the feeling which anancient Roman might have for the Sibylline books in the Capitol. Thereare, as you see, twelve magnificent stones, inscribed with mysticalcharacters. Counting from the left-hand top corner, the stones arecarnelian, peridot, emerald, ruby, lapis lazuli, onyx, sapphire, agate,amethyst, topaz, beryl, and jasper."
I was amazed at the variety and beauty of the stones.
"Has the breastplate any particular history?" I asked.
"It is of great age and of immense value," said Professor Andreas."Without being able to make an absolute assertion, we have many reasonsto think that it is possible that it may be the original urim andthummim of Solomon's Temple. There is certainly nothing so fine in anycollection in Europe. My friend, Captain Wilson, here, is a practicalauthority upon precious stones, and he would tell you how pure theseare."
Captain Wilson, a man with a dark, hard, incisive face, was standingbeside his fiancee at the other side of the case.
"Yes," said he, curtly, "I have never seen finer stones."
"And the gold-work is also worthy of attention. The ancients excelledin----"--he was apparently about to indicate the setting of the stones,when Captain Wilson interrupted him.
"You will see a finer example of their gold-work in this candlestick,"said he, turning to another table, and we all joined him in hisadmiration of its embossed stem and delicately ornamented branches.Altogether it was an interesting and a novel experience to have objectsof such rarity explained by so great an expert; and when, finally,Professor Andreas finished our inspection by formally handing over theprecious collection to the care of my friend, I could not help pityinghim and envying his successor whose life was to pass in so pleasant aduty. Within a week, Ward Mortimer was duly installed in his new setof rooms, and had become the autocrat of the Belmore Street Museum.
About a fortnight afterwards my friend gave a small dinner to half adozen bachelor friends to celebrate his promotion. When his guestswere departing he pulled my sleeve and signalled to me that he wishedme to remain.
"You have only a few hundred yards to go," said he--I was living inchambers in the Albany. "You may as well stay and have a quiet cigarwith me. I very much want your advice."
I relapsed into an arm-chair and lit one of his excellent Matronas.When he had returned from seeing the last of his guests out, he drew aletter from his dress-jacket and sat down opposite to me.
"This is an anonymous letter which I received this morning," said he."I want to read it to you and to have your advice."
"You are very welcome to it for what it is worth."
"This is how the note runs: 'Sir,--I should strongly advise you tokeep a very careful watch over the many valuable things which arecommitted to your charge. I do not think that the present system of asingle watchman is sufficient. Be upon your guard, or an irreparablemisfortune may occur.'"
"Is that all?"
"Yes, that is all."
"Well," said I, "it is at least obvious that it was written by one ofthe limited number of people who are aware that you have only onewatchman at night."
Ward Mortimer handed me the note, with a curious smile. "Have you aneye for handwriting?" said he. "Now, look at this!" He put anotherletter in front of me. "Look at the c in 'congratulate' and the c in'committed.' Look at the capital I. Look at the trick of putting in adash instead of a stop!"
"They are undoubtedly from the same hand--with some attempt at disguisein the case of this first one."
"The second," said Ward Mortimer, "is the letter of congratulationwhich was written to me by Professor Andreas upon my obtaining myappointment."
I stared at him in amazement. Then I turned over the letter in myhand, and there, sure enough, was "Martin Andreas" signed upon theother side. There could be no doubt, in the mind of anyone who had theslightest knowledge of the science of graphology, that the Professorhad written an anonymous letter, warning his successor against thieves.It was inexplicable, but it was certain.
"Why should he do it?" I asked.
"Precisely what I should wish to ask you. If he had any suchmisgivings, why could he not come and tell me direct?"
"Will you speak to him about it?"
"There again I am in doubt. He might choose to deny that he wrote it."
"At any rate," said I, "this warning is meant in a friendly spirit, andI should certainly act upon it. Are the present precautions enough toinsure you against robbery?"
"I should have thought so. The public are only admitted from ten tillfive, and there is a guardian to every two rooms. He stands at thedoor between them, and so commands them both."
"But at night?"
"When the public are gone, we at once put up the great iron shutters,which are absolutely burglar-proof. The watchman is a capable fellow.He sits in the lodge, but he walks round every three hours. We keepone electric light burning in each room all night."
"It is difficult to suggest anything more--short of keeping your daywatches all night."
"We could not afford that."
"At least, I should communicate with the police, and have a specialconstable put on outside in Belmore Street," said I. "As to theletter, if the writer wishes to be anonymous, I think he has a right toremain so. We must trust to the future to show some reason for thecurious course which he has adopted."
So we dismissed the subject, but all that night after my return to mychambers I was puzzling my brain as to what possible motive ProfessorAndreas could have for writing an anonymous warning letter to hissuccessor--for that the writing was his was as certain to me as if Ihad seen him actually doing it. He foresaw some danger to thecollection. Was it because he foresaw it that he abandoned his chargeof it? But if so, why should he hesitate to warn Mortimer in his ownname? I puzzled and puzzled until at last I fell into a troubledsleep, which carried me beyond my usual hour of rising.
I was aroused in a singular and effective method, for about nineo'clock my friend Mortimer rushed into my room with an expression ofconsternation upon his face. He was usually one of the most tidy menof my acquaintance, but now his collar was undone at one end, his tiewas flying, and his hat at the back of his head. I read his wholestory in his frantic eyes.
"The museum has been robbed!" I cried, springing up in bed.
"I fear so! Those jewels! The jewels of the urim and thummim!" hegasped, for he was out of breath with running. "I'm going on to thepolice-station. Come to the museum as soon as you can, Jackson!Good-bye!" He rushed distractedly out of the room, and I heard himclatter down the stairs.
I was not long in following his directions, but I found when I arrivedthat he had already returned with a police inspector, and anotherelderly gentleman, who proved to be Mr. Purvis, one of the partners ofMorson and Company, the well-known diamond merchants. As an expert instones he was always prepared to advise the police. They were groupedround the case in which the breastplate of the Jewish priest had beenexposed. The plate had been taken out and laid upon the glass top ofthe case, and the three heads were bent over it.
"It is obvious that it has been tampered with," said Mortimer. "Itcaught my eye the moment that I passed through the room this morning.I examined it yesterday evening, so that it is certain that this hashappened during the night."
It was, as he had said, obvious that someone had been at work upon it.The settings of the uppermost row of four stones--the carnelian,peridot, emerald, and ruby--were rough and jagged as if someone hadscraped all round them. The stones were in their places, but thebeautiful gold-work which we had admired only a few days before hadbeen very clumsily pulled about.
"It looks to me," said the police inspector, "as if someone had beentrying to take out the stones."
"My fear is," said Mortimer, "that he not only tried, but succeeded. Ibelieve these four stones to be skilful imitations which have been putin the place of the originals."
The same suspicion had evidently been in the mind of the expert, for hehad been carefully examining the four stones with the aid of a lens.He now submitted them to several tests, and finally turned cheerfullyto Mortimer.
"I congratulate you, sir," said he, heartily. "I will pledge myreputation that all four of these stones are genuine, and of a mostunusual degree of purity."
The colour began to come back to my poor friend's frightened face, andhe drew a long breath of relief.
"Thank God!" he cried. "Then what in the world did the thief want?"
"Probably he meant to take the stones, but was interrupted."
"In that case one would expect him to take them out one at a time, butthe setting of each of these has been loosened, and yet the stones areall here."
"It is certainly most extraordinary," said the inspector. "I neverremember a case like it. Let us see the watchman."
The commissionaire was called--a soldierly, honest-faced man, whoseemed as concerned as Ward Mortimer at the incident.
"No, sir, I never heard a sound," he answered, in reply to thequestions of the inspector. "I made my rounds four times, as usual,but I saw nothing suspicious. I've been in my position ten years, butnothing of the kind has ever occurred before."
"No thief could have come through the windows?"
"Impossible, sir."
"Or passed you at the door?"
"No, sir; I never left my post except when I walked my rounds."
"What other openings are there in the museum?"
"There is the door into Mr. Ward Mortimer's private rooms."
"That is locked at night," my friend explained, "and in order to reachit anyone from the street would have to open the outside door as well."
"Your servants?"
"Their quarters are entirely separate."
"Well, well," said the inspector, "this is certainly very obscure.However, there has been no harm done, according to Mr. Purvis."
"I will swear that those stones are genuine."
"So that the case appears to be merely one of malicious damage. Butnone the less, I should be very glad to go carefully round thepremises, and to see if we can find any trace to show us who yourvisitor may have been."
His investigation, which lasted all the morning, was careful andintelligent, but it led in the end to nothing. He pointed out to usthat there were two possible entrances to the museum which we had notconsidered. The one was from the cellars by a trap-door opening in thepassage. The other through a skylight from the lumber-room,overlooking that very chamber to which the intruder had penetrated. Asneither the cellar nor the lumber-room could be entered unless thethief was already within the locked doors, the matter was not of anypractical importance, and the dust of cellar and attic assured us thatno one had used either one or the other. Finally, we ended as webegan, without the slightest clue as to how, why, or by whom thesetting of these four jewels had been tampered with.
There remained one course for Mortimer to take, and he took it. Leavingthe police to continue their fruitless researches, he asked me toaccompany him that afternoon in a visit to Professor Andreas. He tookwith him the two letters, and it was his intention to openly tax hispredecessor with having written the anonymous warning, and to ask himto explain the fact that he should have anticipated so exactly thatwhich had actually occurred. The Professor was living in a small villain Upper Norwood, but we were informed by the servant that he was awayfrom home. Seeing our disappointment, she asked us if we should liketo see Miss Andreas, and showed us into the modest drawing-room.
I have mentioned incidentally that the Professor's daughter was a verybeautiful girl. She was a blonde, tall and graceful, with a skin ofthat delicate tint which the French call "mat," the colour of oldivory, or of the lighter petals of the sulphur rose. I was shocked,however, as she entered the room to see how much she had changed in thelast fortnight. Her young face was haggard and her bright eyes heavywith trouble.
"Father has gone to Scotland," she said. "He seems to be tired, andhas had a good deal to worry him. He only left us yesterday."
"You look a little tired yourself, Miss Andreas," said my friend.
"I have been so anxious about father."
"Can you give me his Scotch address?"
"Yes, he is with his brother, the Rev. David Andreas, 1, Arran Villas,Ardrossan."
Ward Mortimer mad
e a note of the address, and we left without sayinganything as to the object of our visit. We found ourselves in BelmoreStreet in the evening in exactly the same position in which we had beenin the morning. Our only clue was the Professor's letter, and myfriend had made up his mind to start for Ardrossan next day, and to getto the bottom of the anonymous letter, when a new development came toalter our plans.
Very early on the following morning I was aroused from my sleep by atap upon my bedroom door. It was a messenger with a note from Mortimer.
"Do come round," it said; "the matter is becoming more and moreextraordinary."
When I obeyed his summons I found him pacing excitedly up and down thecentral room, while the old soldier who guarded the premises stood withmilitary stiffness in a corner.
"My dear Jackson," he cried, "I am so delighted that you have come, forthis is a most inexplicable business."
"What has happened, then?"
He waved his hand towards the case which contained the breastplate.
"Look at it," said he.
I did so, and could not restrain a cry of surprise. The setting of themiddle row of precious stones had been profaned in the same manner asthe upper ones. Of the twelve jewels eight had been now tampered within this singular fashion. The setting of the lower four was neat andsmooth. The others jagged and irregular.
"Have the stones been altered?" I asked.
"No, I am certain that these upper four are the same which the expertpronounced to be genuine, for I observed yesterday that littlediscoloration on the edge of the emerald. Since they have notextracted the upper stones, there is no reason to think the lower havebeen transposed. You say that you heard nothing, Simpson?"
"No, sir," the commissionaire answered. "But when I made my roundafter daylight I had a special look at these stones, and I saw at oncethat someone had been meddling with them. Then I called you, sir, andtold you. I was backwards and forwards all night, and I never saw asoul or heard a sound."
"Come up and have some breakfast with me," said Mortimer, and he tookme into his own chambers.--"Now, what DO you think of this, Jackson?"he asked.
"It is the most objectless, futile, idiotic business that ever I heardof. It can only be the work of a monomaniac."
"Can you put forward any theory?"
A curious idea came into my head. "This object is a Jewish relic ofgreat antiquity and sanctity," said I. "How about the anti-Semiticmovement? Could one conceive that a fanatic of that way of thinkingmight desecrate----"
"No, no, no!" cried Mortimer. "That will never do! Such a man mightpush his lunacy to the length of destroying a Jewish relic, but why onearth should he nibble round every stone so carefully that he can onlydo four stones in a night? We must have a better solution than that,and we must find it for ourselves, for I do not think that ourinspector is likely to help us. First of all, what do you think ofSimpson, the porter?"
"Have you any reason to suspect him?"
"Only that he is the one person on the premises."
"But why should he indulge in such wanton destruction? Nothing hasbeen taken away. He has no motive."
"Mania?"
"No, I will swear to his sanity."
"Have you any other theory?"
"Well, yourself, for example. You are not a somnambulist, by anychance?"
"Nothing of the sort, I assure you."
"Then I give it up."
"But I don't--and I have a plan by which we will make it all clear."
"To visit Professor Andreas?"
"No, we shall find our solution nearer than Scotland. I will tell youwhat we shall do. You know that skylight which overlooks the centralhall? We will leave the electric lights in the hall, and we will keepwatch in the lumber-room, you and I, and solve the mystery forourselves. If our mysterious visitor is doing four stones at a time,he has four still to do, and there is every reason to think that hewill return tonight and complete the job."
"Excellent!" I cried.
"We will keep our own secret, and say nothing either to the police orto Simpson. Will you join me?"
"With the utmost pleasure," said I; and so it was agreed.
It was ten o'clock that night when I returned to the Belmore StreetMuseum. Mortimer was, as I could see, in a state of suppressed nervousexcitement, but it was still too early to begin our vigil, so weremained for an hour or so in his chambers, discussing all thepossibilities of the singular business which we had met to solve. Atlast the roaring stream of hansom cabs and the rush of hurrying feetbecame lower and more intermittent as the pleasure-seekers passed ontheir way to their stations or their homes. It was nearly twelve whenMortimer led the way to the lumber-room which overlooked the centralhall of the museum.
He had visited it during the day, and had spread some sacking so thatwe could lie at our ease, and look straight down into the museum. Theskylight was of unfrosted glass, but was so covered with dust that itwould be impossible for anyone looking up from below to detect that hewas overlooked. We cleared a small piece at each corner, which gave usa complete view of the room beneath us. In the cold white light of theelectric lamps everything stood out hard and clear, and I could see thesmallest detail of the contents of the various cases.
Such a vigil is an excellent lesson, since one has no choice but tolook hard at those objects which we usually pass with such half-heartedinterest. Through my little peep hole I employed the hours in studyingevery specimen, from the huge mummy-case which leaned against the wallto those very jewels which had brought us there, gleaming and sparklingin their glass case immediately beneath us. There was much preciousgold-work and many valuable stones scattered through the numerouscases, but those wonderful twelve which made up the urim and thummimglowed and burned with a radiance which far eclipsed the others. Istudied in turn the tomb-pictures of Sicara, the friezes from Karnak,the statues of Memphis, and the inscriptions of Thebes, but my eyeswould always come back to that wonderful Jewish relic, and my mind tothe singular mystery which surrounded it. I was lost in the thought ofit when my companion suddenly drew his breath sharply in, and seized myarm in a convulsive grip. At the same instant I saw what it was whichhad excited him.
I have said that against the wall--on the right-hand side of thedoorway (the right-hand side as we looked at it, but the left as oneentered)--there stood a large mummy-case. To our unutterable amazementit was slowly opening. Gradually, gradually the lid was swinging back,and the black slit which marked the opening was becoming wider andwider. So gently and carefully was it done that the movement wasalmost imperceptible. Then, as we breathlessly watched it, a whitethin hand appeared at the opening, pushing back the painted lid, thenanother hand, and finally a face--a face which was familiar to us both,that of Professor Andreas. Stealthily he slunk out of the mummy-case,like a fox stealing from its burrow, his head turning incessantly toleft and to right, stepping, then pausing, then stepping again, thevery image of craft and of caution. Once some sound in the streetstruck him motionless, and he stood listening, with his ear turned,ready to dart back to the shelter behind him. Then he crept onwardsagain upon tiptoe, very, very softly and slowly, until he had reachedthe case in the centre of the room. There he took a bunch of keys fromhis pocket, unlocked the case, took out the Jewish breastplate, and,laying it upon the glass in front of him, began to work upon it withsome sort of small, glistening tool. He was so directly underneath usthat his bent head covered his work, but we could guess from themovement of his hand that he was engaged in finishing the strangedisfigurement which he had begun.
I could realize from the heavy breathing of my companion, and thetwitchings of the hand which still clutched my wrist, the furiousindignation which filled his heart as he saw this vandalism in thequarter of all others where he could least have expected it. He, thevery man who a fortnight before had reverently bent over this uniquerelic, and who had impressed its antiquity and its sanctity upon us,was now engaged in this outrageous profanation. It was impossible,unt
hinkable--and yet there, in the white glare of the electric lightbeneath us, was that dark figure with the bent grey head, and thetwitching elbow. What inhuman hypocrisy, what hateful depth of maliceagainst his successor must underlie these sinister nocturnal labours.It was painful to think of and dreadful to watch. Even I, who had noneof the acute feelings of a virtuoso, could not bear to look on and seethis deliberate mutilation of so ancient a relic. It was a relief tome when my companion tugged at my sleeve as a signal that I was tofollow him as he softly crept out of the room. It was not until wewere within his own quarters that he opened his lips, and then I saw byhis agitated face how deep was his consternation.
"The abominable Goth!" he cried. "Could you have believed it?"
"It is amazing."
"He is a villain or a lunatic--one or the other. We shall very soonsee which. Come with me, Jackson, and we shall get to the bottom ofthis black business."
A door opened out of the passage which was the private entrance fromhis rooms into the museum. This he opened softly with his key, havingfirst kicked off his shoes, an example which I followed. We crepttogether through room after room, until the large hall lay before us,with that dark figure still stooping and working at the central case.With an advance as cautious as his own we closed in upon him, butsoftly as we went we could not take him entirely unawares. We werestill a dozen yards from him when he looked round with a start, anduttering a husky cry of terror, ran frantically down the museum.
"Simpson! Simpson!" roared Mortimer, and far away down the vista ofelectric lighted doors we saw the stiff figure of the old soldiersuddenly appear. Professor Andreas saw him also, and stopped running,with a gesture of despair. At the same instant we each laid a handupon his shoulder.
"Yes, yes, gentlemen," he panted, "I will come with you. To your room,Mr. Ward Mortimer, if you please! I feel that I owe you anexplanation."
My companion's indignation was so great that I could see that he darednot trust himself to reply. We walked on each side of the oldProfessor, the astonished commissionaire bringing up the rear. When wereached the violated case, Mortimer stopped and examined thebreastplate. Already one of the stones of the lower row had had itssetting turned back in the same manner as the others. My friend heldit up and glanced furiously at his prisoner.
"How could you!" he cried. "How could you!"
"It is horrible--horrible!" said the Professor. "I don't wonder atyour feelings. Take me to your room."
"But this shall not be left exposed!" cried Mortimer. He picked thebreastplate up and carried it tenderly in his hand, while I walkedbeside the Professor, like a policeman with a malefactor. We passedinto Mortimer's chambers, leaving the amazed old soldier to understandmatters as best he could. The Professor sat down in Mortimer'sarm-chair, and turned so ghastly a colour that for the instant all ourresentment was changed to concern. A stiff glass of brandy brought thelife back to him once more.
"There, I am better now!" said he. "These last few days have been toomuch for me. I am convinced that I could not stand it any longer. Itis a nightmare--a horrible nightmare--that I should be arrested as aburglar in what has been for so long my own museum. And yet I cannotblame you. You could not have done otherwise. My hope always was thatI should get it all over before I was detected. This would have beenmy last night's work."
"How did you get in?" asked Mortimer.
"By taking a very great liberty with your private door. But the objectjustified it. The object justified everything. You will not be angrywhen you know everything--at least, you will not be angry with me. Ihad a key to your side door and also to the museum door. I did notgive them up when I left. And so you see it was not difficult for meto let myself into the museum. I used to come in early before thecrowd had cleared from the street. Then I hid myself in the mummy-case,and took refuge there whenever Simpson came round. I could always hearhim coming. I used to leave in the same way as I came."
"You ran a risk."
"I had to."
"But why? What on earth was your object--YOU to do a thing like that!"Mortimer pointed reproachfully at the plate which lay before him on thetable.
"I could devise no other means. I thought and thought, but there wasno alternate except a hideous public scandal, and a private sorrowwhich would have clouded our lives. I acted for the best, incredibleas it may seem to you, and I only ask your attention to enable me toprove it."
"I will hear what you have to say before I take any further steps,"said Mortimer, grimly.
"I am determined to hold back nothing, and to take you both completelyinto my confidence. I will leave it to your own generosity how far youwill use the facts with which I supply you."
"We have the essential facts already."
"And yet you understand nothing. Let me go back to what passed a fewweeks ago, and I will make it all clear to you. Believe me that what Isay is the absolute and exact truth.
"You have met the person who calls himself Captain Wilson. I say'calls himself' because I have reason now to believe that it is not hiscorrect name. It would take me too long if I were to describe all themeans by which he obtained an introduction to me and ingratiatedhimself into my friendship and the affection of my daughter. Hebrought letters from foreign colleagues which compelled me to show himsome attention. And then, by his own attainments, which areconsiderable, he succeeded in making himself a very welcome visitor atmy rooms. When I learned that my daughter's affections had been gainedby him, I may have thought it premature, but I certainly was notsurprised, for he had a charm of manner and of conversation which wouldhave made him conspicuous in any society.
"He was much interested in Oriental antiquities, and his knowledge ofthe subject justified his interest. Often when he spent the eveningwith us he would ask permission to go down into the museum and have anopportunity of privately inspecting the various specimens. You canimagine that I, as an enthusiast, was in sympathy with such a request,and that I felt no surprise at the constancy of his visits. After hisactual engagement to Elise, there was hardly an evening which he didnot pass with us, and an hour or two were generally devoted to themuseum. He had the free run of the place, and when I have been awayfor the evening I had no objection to his doing whatever he wishedhere. This state of things was only terminated by the fact of myresignation of my official duties and my retirement to Norwood, where Ihoped to have the leisure to write a considerable work which I hadplanned.
"It was immediately after this--within a week or so--that I firstrealized the true nature and character of the man whom I had soimprudently introduced into my family. The discovery came to methrough letters from my friends abroad, which showed me that hisintroductions to me had been forgeries. Aghast at the revelation, Iasked myself what motive this man could originally have had inpractising this elaborate deception upon me. I was too poor a man forany fortune-hunter to have marked me down. Why, then, had he come? Iremembered that some of the most precious gems in Europe had been undermy charge, and I remembered also the ingenious excuses by which thisman had made himself familiar with the cases in which they were kept.He was a rascal who was planning some gigantic robbery. How could I,without striking my own daughter, who was infatuated about him, preventhim from carrying out any plan which he might have formed? My devicewas a clumsy one, and yet I could think of nothing more effective. IfI had written a letter under my own name, you would naturally haveturned to me for details which I did not wish to give. I resorted toan anonymous letter, begging you to be upon your guard.
"I may tell you that my change from Belmore Street to Norwood had notaffected the visits of this man, who had, I believe, a real andoverpowering affection for my daughter. As to her, I could not havebelieved that any woman could be so completely under the influence of aman as she was. His stronger nature seemed to entirely dominate her.I had not realized how far this was the case, or the extent of theconfidence which existed between them, until that very evening when histrue character fo
r the first time was made clear to me. I had givenorders that when he called he should be shown into my study instead ofto the drawing-room. There I told him bluntly that I knew all abouthim, that I had taken steps to defeat his designs, and that neither Inor my daughter desired ever to see him again. I added that I thankedGod that I had found him out before he had time to harm those preciousobjects which it had been the work of my life-time to protect.
"He was certainly a man of iron nerve. He took my remarks without asign either of surprise or of defiance, but listened gravely andattentively until I had finished. Then he walked across the roomwithout a word and struck the bell.
"'Ask Miss Andreas to be so kind as to step this way,' said he to theservant.
"My daughter entered, and the man closed the door behind her. Then hetook her hand in his.
"'Elise,' said he, 'your father has just discovered that I am avillain. He knows now what you knew before.'
"She stood in silence, listening.
"'He says that we are to part for ever,' said he.
"She did not withdraw her hand.
"'Will you be true to me, or will you remove the last good influencewhich is ever likely to come into my life?'
"'John,' she cried, passionately. 'I will never abandon you! Never,never, not if the whole world were against you.'
"In vain I argued and pleaded with her. It was absolutely useless.Her whole life was bound up in this man before me. My daughter,gentlemen, is all that I have left to love, and it filled me with agonywhen I saw how powerless I was to save her from her ruin. Myhelplessness seemed to touch this man who was the cause of my trouble.
"'It may not be as bad as you think, sir,' said he, in his quiet,inflexible way. 'I love Elise with a love which is strong enough torescue even one who has such a record as I have. It was but yesterdaythat I promised her that never again in my whole life would I do athing of which she should be ashamed. I have made up my mind to it,and never yet did I make up my mind to a thing which I did not do.'
"He spoke with an air which carried conviction with it. As heconcluded he put his hand into his pocket and he drew out a smallcardboard box.
"'I am about to give you a proof of my determination,' said he. 'This,Elise, shall be the first-fruits of your redeeming influence over me.You are right, sir, in thinking that I had designs upon the jewels inyour possession. Such ventures have had a charm for me, which dependedas much upon the risk run as upon the value of the prize. Those famousand antique stones of the Jewish priest were a challenge to my daringand my ingenuity. I determined to get them.'
"'I guessed as much.'
"'There was only one thing that you did not guess.'
"'And what is that?'
"'That I got them. They are in this box.'
"He opened the box, and tilted out the contents upon the corner of mydesk. My hair rose and my flesh grew cold as I looked. There weretwelve magnificent square stones engraved with mystical characters.There could be no doubt that they were the jewels of the urim andthummim.
"'Good God!' I cried. 'How have you escaped discovery?'
"'By the substitution of twelve others, made especially to my order, inwhich the originals are so carefully imitated that I defy the eye todetect the difference.'
"'Then the present stones are false?' I cried.
"'They have been for some weeks.'
"We all stood in silence, my daughter white with emotion, but stillholding this man by the hand.
"'You see what I am capable of, Elise,' said he.
"'I see that you are capable of repentance and restitution,' sheanswered.
"'Yes, thanks to your influence! I leave the stones in your hands,sir. Do what you like about it. But remember that whatever you doagainst me, is done against the future husband of your only daughter.You will hear from me soon again, Elise. It is the last time that Iwill ever cause pain to your tender heart,' and with these words heleft both the room and the house.
"My position was a dreadful one. Here I was with these precious relicsin my possession, and how could I return them without a scandal and anexposure? I knew the depth of my daughter's nature too well to supposethat I would ever be able to detach her from this man now that she hadentirely given him her heart. I was not even sure how far it was rightto detach her if she had such an ameliorating influence over him. Howcould I expose him without injuring her--and how far was I justified inexposing him when he had voluntarily put himself into my power? Ithought and thought until at last I formed a resolution which may seemto you to be a foolish one, and yet, if I had to do it again, I believeit would be the best course open to me.
"My idea was to return the stones without anyone being the wiser. Withmy keys I could get into the museum at any time, and I was confidentthat I could avoid Simpson, whose hours and methods were familiar tome. I determined to take no one into my confidence--not even mydaughter--whom I told that I was about to visit my brother in Scotland.I wanted a free hand for a few nights, without inquiry as to my comingsand goings. To this end I took a room in Harding Street that verynight, with an intimation that I was a Pressman, and that I should keepvery late hours.
"That night I made my way into the museum, and I replaced four of thestones. It was hard work, and took me all night. When Simpson cameround I always heard his footsteps, and concealed myself in themummy-case. I had some knowledge of gold-work, but was far lessskilful than the thief had been. He had replaced the setting soexactly that I defy anyone to see the difference. My work was rude andclumsy. However, I hoped that the plate might not be carefullyexamined, or the roughness of the setting observed, until my task wasdone. Next night I replaced four more stones. And tonight I shouldhave finished my task had it not been for the unfortunate circumstancewhich has caused me to reveal so much which I should have wished tokeep concealed. I appeal to you, gentlemen, to your sense of honourand of compassion, whether what I have told you should go any fartheror not. My own happiness, my daughter's future, the hopes of thisman's regeneration, all depend upon your decision.
"Which is," said my friend, "that all is well that ends well and thatthe whole matter ends here and at once. Tomorrow the loose settingsshall be tightened by an expert goldsmith, and so passes the greatestdanger to which, since the destruction of the Temple, the urim andthummim has been exposed. Here is my hand, Professor Andreas, and Ican only hope that under such difficult circumstances I should havecarried myself as unselfishly and as well."
Just one footnote to this narrative. Within a month Elise Andreas wasmarried to a man whose name, had I the indiscretion to mention it,would appeal to my readers as one who is now widely and deservedlyhonoured. But if the truth were known that honour is due not to him,but to the gentle girl who plucked him back when he had gone so fardown that dark road along which few return.
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