The Ruby of Kishmoor | Page 8

friend, if I could but see thy
face it would doubtless make my decision in such a matter the more
favorable, since I am inclined to think from the little I can behold of it,
that thy appearance must be extremely comely to the eye."
"Sir," said the lady, exhibiting some amusement at this unexpected
sally, "I am, you must know, as God made me. Sometime, perhaps, I
may be very glad to satisfy your curiosity, and exhibit to you my poor
countenance such as it is. But now"--and here she reverted to her more

serious mood--"I must again put it to you: are you willing to help an
unprotected woman in a period of very great danger to herself? Should
you decline the assistance which I solicit, my slaves shall conduct you
to the gate through which you entered, and suffer you to depart in peace.
Should you, upon the other hand, accept the trust, you are to receive no
reward therefor, except the gratitude of one who thus appeals to you in
her helplessness."
For a few moments Jonathan fell silent, for here, indeed, was he
entering into an adventure which infinitely surpassed any anticipation
that he could have formed. He was, besides, of a cautious nature, and
was entirely disinclined to embark into any affair so obscure and
tangled as that in which he now found himself becoming involved.
"Friend," said he, at last, "I may tell thee that thy story has so far
moved me as to give me every inclination to help thee in thy
difficulties, but I must also inform thee that I am a man of caution,
having never before entered into any business of this sort. Therefore,
before giving any promise that may bind my future actions, I must, in
common wisdom, demand to know what are the conditions that thou
hast in mind to impose upon me."
"Indeed, sir," cried the lady, with great vivacity and with more cheerful
accents--as though her mind had been relieved of a burden of fear that
her companion might at once have declined even a consideration of her
request--"indeed, sir, you will find that the trust which I would impose
upon you is in appearance no such great matter as my words may have
led you to suppose.
"You must know that I am possessed of a little trinket which, in the
hands of any one who, like yourself, is a stranger in these parts, would
possess no significance, but which while in my keeping is fraught with
infinite menace to me."
Hereupon, and having so spoken, she clapped her hands, and an
attendant immediately entered, disclosing the person of the same
negress who had first introduced Jonathan into the strange adventure in
which he now found himself involved. This creature, who appeared still

more deformed and repulsive in the brilliantly lighted room than she
had in the moonlight, carried in her hands a white napkin, which she
handed to her mistress. This being opened, disclosed a small ivory ball
of about the bigness of a lime. Nodding to the negress to withdraw, the
lady handed him the ivory ball, and Jonathan took it with no small
degree of curiosity and examined it carefully. It appeared to be of an
exceeding antiquity, and of so deep a yellow as to be almost brown in
color. It was covered over with strange figures and characters of an
Oriental sort, which appeared to our hero to be of Chinese
workmanship.
"I must tell you, sir," said the lady, after she had permitted her guest to
examine this for a while in silence, "that though this appears to you to
be of little worth, it is yet of extreme value. After all, however, it is
nothing but a curiosity that any one who is interested in such matters
might possess. What I have to ask you is this: Will you be willing to
take this into your charge, to guard it with the utmost care and
fidelity--yes, even as the apple of your eye--during your continuance in
these parts, and to return it to me in safety the day before your
departure. By so doing you will render me a service which you may
neither understand nor comprehend, but which shall make me your
debtor for my entire life."
By this time Jonathan had pretty well composed his mind for a reply.
"Friend," said he, "such a matter as this is entirely out of my knowledge
of business, which is, indeed, that of a clerk in the mercantile
profession. Nevertheless, I have every inclination to help thee, though I
trust thou mayest have magnified the dangers that beset thee. This
appears to me to be a little trifle for such an ado; nevertheless, I will do
as thou dost request.