THE DIVA'S RUBIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13834, 21 August 1908, Page 3

THE DIVA'S RUBIES.

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

BY F. MARION CRAWFORD. Author of "Arethnsa.." " Soprano," "Zoroaster," etc. CHAPTER IV.—(Continued.) Outside two well-dressed men were looking at iho things in the window; within, a broad-shouldered, smart-looking man with black hair and dressed in perfectly new blue serge, was sitting by the counter with his back to the dooi, talking with the old jeweller himself. He" turned on iii& chair when he heard the newcomer's step, and Mr. Van Torp found himself face to face with Konstantin Logotheti, whom ho had supjKiacd to be in Paris. "Well," ho said, without betraying the surprise he felt, " this is what I call a very pleasant accident, Mr. Logotheti." The Greek rose and .shook hands, and the American did not fail to observe on the counter a small piece of tissue paper on which lay an uncut stone, much larger than the one he had in his pocket. " If you are iu any hurry," said Logotheti politely, "I don't mind waiting in the least. Mr. Pinney and I are in the midst of a discussion that may never end, and I believe neither of us have anything in the world to do." Mr. Pinney smiled benignly and put in a word in the mercantile plural, which differs from that of royalty in being used every day. " The truth is, we are not very busy just at' this time of the year," he said. "That's very kind of you, Mr. Logotheti," said Van Torp, answering the latter, " but I'm not really in a hurry, thank you." the stress he laid on the worn " really " might have led one to the conclusion that he was pretending to be, but was not. Ha sat down deliberately at a little distance, took off his hat, and looked at the gem on the counter. "I don", know anything about such things, of course," he said, in a tone of reflection, " but I should think that was quite a nice ruby." Again Mr. Pinney smiled benignly, for Mr*. Van Torp had dealt with him for years. " It's a very fine stone indeed, sir," lie said, and then turned to Logotheti again. " I think we can undertake to cut it for you in London," he said. " 1 will weigh it and give you a careful estimate." As a matter of fact, before Van lorp entered, Logotheti had got so far as the question of setting the gem for a lady's ring, but Mr. Pinney, like all the great jewellers, was as discreet and tactful as a professional diplomatist. How could lie be sure that one customer might like another to know about a ring ordered for a lady? If Logotheti preferred secrecy, he would only have to assent and go away, as if leaving the ruby to be cut, and he could look in again when it was convenient and this was what he at once decided tc do.

"I think you're right, Mi. Pinney," he said. "I shall leave it in your hands. That's really alii" he added, turning to Mi. Van Torp. "Really? My business: won't take long either, and we'll go together, ; f you like, and 'have a little chat. I only came to get another of those extra large collar studs you make for me, Mi. Pinney. Have you, got another?" " We always keep them in stock for your convenience, sir," answered the famous jeweller, opening a special little drawer behind the counter and producing a very small morocco case.

Mr. Van, Torp did not even open it, and had already laid down the money, for he knew precisely what it cost. ''Thanks," he said. "You're always so obliging about little things*, Mr. Pinney." " Thank you, sir. We do our best. Good morning, sir good morning." The two millionaires went out together. Two well-dressed men stood aside to let them pass and then entered the shop. • "Which, way?'-' asked Logotheti. " Your way," answered the American. "I've nothing to do." " Nor have I," laughed the Greek. "Nothing in the, world ! What can anybody find to do in London at this time of year?" " I'm sure I don't know," echoed Van Torp, pleasantly. "' I supposed you were on the Continent somewhere." "And I thought you were in America, and so, of course, wo meet at old Pinney's in London!" " Really! Did you think 1 was in America'/ Your friend, the heathen girl in bo}-'.? clothes, brought me your card this morning. I supposed you knew I was" here." "' No, but I thought you might be, within six months, and 1 gave her several cards for people I know. So she found you out! She's a born ferret— would find anything. Did you buy anything of her?" " No. I'm not buying rubies to-day. Much obliged for sending her, ail the same. You take an interest in her, I •suppose, Mr. Logotheti? 'is that so?" ; "I?" Logotheti laughed a little. "No, indeed ! Those days were over long ago. I'm engaged to be married." " By the bye, yes. I'd heard that, and I meant to congratulate yon. I do now, anyway. When is it to be? -Settled that yet?" " Some time in October, I think. So you guessed that Barak is a. girl?" "Yes, that's right. I guessed she- was. Do you know anything about her?" "What she told me. But it may not be true." "Told you? Do you mean to say you understand her language?" "Oil, yes. Tartar is spoken all over the East, you know. It's only a soit of simplified Turkish, and I picked it up in the Clime a and the Caucasus when I was travelling there some years ago. She comes from some place in Central As*ia within a possible distance of Samarkand and the Transcaucasia!! railway, for that was the way she, ultimately got to the Caspian and to Tifli,". and then to Constantinople, and Paris. How a mere girl, brought up in a Tartar village, could have made such a journey solely, carrying a small fortune with her in precious stones, is something nobody can understand who has not lived in the East, where anything is possible. A woman is practically sacred in a Mohammedan country. Any man who molests her stands a good chance of being torn to ribands by the other men." "It used to be something like that in the West, when I punched cattle," observed Mr. Van Torp quietly. " A man who interfered with a lady there was liable to get into trouble. Progress works both ways, up and down, doesn't it? Bears at one end, and rots at the other. Isn't that so?" " It's just as true as civilisation," answered the Greek. " They're the same thing, I should say," objected Mr. Van Tori). "Oh, not quite, I think!" . Logotheti smiled at his own thoughts. To his thinking, civilisation meant an epigram of Meleager, or Sirnonides' epitaph on the Spartans who fell at Thermopylae, or a Tragedy of Sophocles, or the Aphrodite of or the Victory of the Louvre. Progress meant railways, the Paris Course, the Nickel Trust and Mr. Van Torp. "Well." said the latter, "you were telling me about Miss Barrack." "Is that what you call her?" Logotheti laughed lightly. He seemed to be in very good humour. Men often are, just before marriage; and sometimes, it is said, when they are on the eve of great misfortunes which they cannot possibly foxesee. Fate loves unexpected contrasts. Logotheti told his companion the stoiy of the rjiby mine, substantially as it was narrated at the beginning of this tale, not dreaming that Van Torp had perhaps met and talked with the man who had played so larga a part in it, and to find whom Barak had' traversed many dangers and overcome many difficulties. " It sound?, like the ' Arabian Nights,' " said Mr. Van Torp, as if he found it hard to believe. "Exactly," assented Logotheti. "And, oddly enough, the first of these stories is about Samarkand, which is not so very far from Barak's native village. It seems to have taken the girl about a year to find her way to Constantinople, and when she got there she naturally supposed that it was the capital of the world, and that her man, being very great and very rich, thanks to her, must' of course live ihere. Sc she

searched Stamboul and Pera for him during seven or eight months. She lived in the house of a good old Persian merchant, under the protection of his -wife, and learned that there was a world called Europe where her man might be living, and cities railed Paris and London, where people pay fabulous prices fot precious stones. Persian merchants arc generally well-educated men. you know.' At last .made up her mind to dress like a man, she picked up an honest Turkish man-servant who had been all over Europe with a diplomatist,' and could speak «r>me French and English as well as Tartar, she got a lette* >f recommendation to me from a Greek banker through the Persian who did business with him, joined some Greeks who were corning to .Marseilles by sea, and here she is. Now you know as much as I do. She is perfectly fearless, and as much more sure of herself than any man ever was, as some young women can be in this queer world. Of course, she'll never find the brute who thought he was leaving her to be murdered bv her relations, and if she ever did she would either marrv him or cut his throat. Nice, amiable" kind of girl." remarked Mr. Van Torp, who remembered her behaviour when. he had refused her proffered gift. "That's very interesting, Mr. logotheti. How long do you count on being in London this time? Three 01 foul days, j maybe?" H ' "I daresay. No longer, I fancy. "Why don't vou come and take dinner with me some nignt?" asked the American. " Day after to-morrow, perhaps. I'd be pleased to have you." "Thank you very much," Logotbetj answered. "Since vou ask me, I see no reason why I should" not dine with you, if you want me.'' They agreed upon the place and hour, and each suddenly remembered an engagement. "Bv the way," said Mr. Van Torp. without apparent'interest. "I hope Madame Cordova is quite well? Where's she hiding from vou?" . "Just now the hiding-place is Bayreutn. She's gone there with Mrs. Rushmore to hear 'Parsifal.' I believe I'm not musical enough for that, sr I'm roving till it's over. That's my personal history at this moment. And Miss Donne is quite well. I believe, thank you." " I notice you call her ' Miss Donne when you speak of her," said Van Torp. "Excuse me if I made a mistake just now. Ive always called her Madame Cordova." "It doesn't matter at all." answered Logotheti careles-slv, " but I believe she prefers to be called bv her own name amongst friends. Good-bye till day after to-morrow, then." "At half after eight." „ "All right— half-post—l shall remember. But at" two o'clock on the next day but one Logotheti received a note brought by hand in which Mr. Van Torp said that to his very great regret he had been called away suddenly, and hoped that Logotheti would forgive him, as the matter was of such urgent importance that ho would have already left London when the note was received. ... . This was more than true, if possible, for the writer had left town two days earlier, very soon after he had parted from Logotheti in Pall Mall, although the note had not been delivered till forty-eight hours later.

(To tie continued daily-)