DOI Artikel:
Hind, Charles Lewis: The enchanted stone
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27811#0122
The Enchanted Stone
118
He strode to my side. " I am some judge of character," he
remarked, in a tone quite innocent of egoism, speaking as if he
were stating an incontrovertible fact. " You believe in the good
and wise God ? "
" Really," I began.
" Yet," he swept on, " you will hinder the revelation He has
promised to mankind."
" Do you refer to me, or to the paper ? " I asked gently. It
was clear I had to deal with a religious fanatic.
" Yours is a great journal," he continued, ignoring my question.
" You are the Editor ! You wield power ! You are not rich!
Procure for me the Enchanted Stone, and I will give you two,
three, five thousand pounds."
With that he drew from an outer pocket a bundle of bank
notes, and flung them upon the table. They were for ^jiooo
each, and undoubtedly genuine.
" Replace those, please," I said. " This is not a private enquiry
ofhce. Now let us understand one another. I gather that a poor
old gentleman, the present Raja of Pepperthala, who is now lodging
at Buckingham Palace, by Her Majesty's invitation, has in his
possession a valuable stone which you assert is your property, you
being the lineal descendant of the rightful owners, who centuries
past were Rajas of Pepperthala. You also state that this gem was
stolen some hundreds of years ago by a Mohammedan chief at the
time of the invasion of India ; that the said stone has brought
nothing but trouble and disaster to its various owners ; that the
present possessor has in a moment of generosity determined to
present this ill-omened and unlucky gem to Her Majesty, and that
he has travelled to England for that purpose. Further, you are
so anxious to get possession of the gem as to offer me a bribe of
^j$ooo if I succeed in restoring it to you. Now, before I move a
step
118
He strode to my side. " I am some judge of character," he
remarked, in a tone quite innocent of egoism, speaking as if he
were stating an incontrovertible fact. " You believe in the good
and wise God ? "
" Really," I began.
" Yet," he swept on, " you will hinder the revelation He has
promised to mankind."
" Do you refer to me, or to the paper ? " I asked gently. It
was clear I had to deal with a religious fanatic.
" Yours is a great journal," he continued, ignoring my question.
" You are the Editor ! You wield power ! You are not rich!
Procure for me the Enchanted Stone, and I will give you two,
three, five thousand pounds."
With that he drew from an outer pocket a bundle of bank
notes, and flung them upon the table. They were for ^jiooo
each, and undoubtedly genuine.
" Replace those, please," I said. " This is not a private enquiry
ofhce. Now let us understand one another. I gather that a poor
old gentleman, the present Raja of Pepperthala, who is now lodging
at Buckingham Palace, by Her Majesty's invitation, has in his
possession a valuable stone which you assert is your property, you
being the lineal descendant of the rightful owners, who centuries
past were Rajas of Pepperthala. You also state that this gem was
stolen some hundreds of years ago by a Mohammedan chief at the
time of the invasion of India ; that the said stone has brought
nothing but trouble and disaster to its various owners ; that the
present possessor has in a moment of generosity determined to
present this ill-omened and unlucky gem to Her Majesty, and that
he has travelled to England for that purpose. Further, you are
so anxious to get possession of the gem as to offer me a bribe of
^j$ooo if I succeed in restoring it to you. Now, before I move a
step