The Parisian Jeweller.

Woodville Examiner, Volume 3, Issue 282, 10 September 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Parisian Jeweller.

A je.veller of Paris one day saw a splendid equipage drive up to his door, and a tall, important looking gentleman alighted from it. He wanted a lady’s set of diamond ornaments, a complete wedding parure. The price was fixed at two hundred thousand francs. Several designs were shown to him. He made choice of one, said he could grant but little time for executing the order, and insisted on leaving with the jeweller a deposit of four thousand francs in billets de hauque. He also selected a ring, worth a hundred and twenty franca, and ordered it to be sent home next day ; and five days after the whole set of diamonds were to be completed. Accordingly, on the following day, a confidential messenger from the jeweller’s repaired to the Hotel Russien, in the Rue de la Paix, and inquired for Prince Seminoff. He was shown into an apartment on the first storey. Five or six lackeys were in the ante-chamber. The prince took the ring, paid for it, and gave a present of tea francs to the messenger, who joyfully r. tarn d home, and congratulated his master on having so wealthy and liberal a customer. The jeweller, with the utmost punctuality, carried home the diamonds on the day appointed. The prince was in his study, sitting before his cylindrical secretaire, which was open. The jeweller handed the casket to him, and his highness minutely inspected the jewels; suddenly one of the valets entered the room, and announced ‘ Prince Orchoff.’

“ Ah! my brother-in-law,” exclaimed his highness. “I do not wish him to see the present I destine for my sUtor. Request him to stay in the drawing-room and I will come to him immediately. He touched the table, the cylinder moved, and the .secretaire closed ; the diamonds were within it ; but on the table there lay an open box filled with leather bags, and numerous rouleaux of lonis were huddled together in confusion. The jeweller had observed all this treasure on his first arrival, but his attention was particularly attracted by a large Russian leather portfolio, well lined with billets de banque, the edges of which were visible. His highness left the room, saying he would return very shortly. The jeweller begged he would not hurry himself. About twenty minutes elapsed, and a sort of vague apprehension began to assail the jeweller. At length the door opened. Oh ! here is his highness, thought he. But no, it was the master of the hotel, who, stepping up to the jeweller, said—- “ Are you waiting for anybo ly, sir ?” “ I am waiting for the return of Prince Seminoff, to whom I have just sold a set of diamonds for two hundred thousand francs. Are you his secretary ?” "I am his dupe, and so I presume you are !”

“ What do you mean ? His dupe ! impossible ! The jewels are shut up in that secretaire. Besides, look at all this money.” He seized one of the leather bags, and opening it, discovered to his horror that it was filled with nails; the rouleaux contained nothing, and the portfolio scraps of waste paper. However, the jeweller consoled himself—the diamonds were still safe, A looksmith was sent for ; the secretaire was opened, and oh, horror 1 it was empty. It stood on one side of the room, against a wall in which a hole had been made, and there being a correap ending hole in the back of the secretaire the jewels had, with perfect ease, been conveyed into the adjoining apartment.

The despair of the unfortunate jeweller may be conceived. The master of the hotel, toe, who had let his apartments to the pretended Prince Seminofl, had been extensively windled. The servants all belonged to the hotel, with the exception of the valet de ckambre, who was the companion and confederate of the prince. It was ascertained that they had decamped in a coach from the door of the hotel. Every exertion was made to trace them out, but several years elapsed before they were discovered.

The jeweller, 'who was nearly ruined by this robbery, removed to another quarter of Paris, and established himself under a new name. One day a messenger called on him from M. Orlande, a gentleman holding an ollioial situation, who was very ill, and wished to purchase some rings. The poor jeweller bad naturally become suspicious ever since his fatal adventure with Prince Seminoff; and instead of sending his shopman, he took the rings himself. He was shown into a bedchamber which was partially lighted ; owing to the situation of the windows the room was all in shade, except where the bed stood. What was the surprise of the jeweller when he discovered in the invalid M. Orlande the swindler who had some years previously defrauded him in the assumed character of the Russian Prince Seminoff! Por a few moments he was struck dumb with amazement. However, he recovered himself, and deeming it prudent not to betray the discovery he had made, he displayed his rings ; several were selected, and their price amounted to about six thousand francs.

“It is a large sum of money for a poor ruined man,” said M. Orlande. “ I have not ready cash enough to settle the whole amount, and I shall be obliged if yon will take in payment this curious old snuff-box, which is of great value.” He asked for his dressing-case, and, opening it, took out an octagon-shaped china snuff box, ornamented with miniatures set in gold and rubies. It was perfectly unique and of inestimable value. The snuff-box which M. Orlande presented to him was one which had been stolen from him a few days before the robbery of his diamonds. The box was too remarkable to admit of the possibility of mistake. Besides, it had a secret spring, by means of which all the miniatures could be "taken out-of their settings, and on the reverses were painted similar subjects, but treated in the style of indelicacy peculiar to the age of Louis XV. This circumstance was important in proof of his claim to the possession of the box. When M, Orlande asked him to set a value on it, he said without hesitation—- “ I consider it worth more than fifty thousand francs." “Fifty thousand francs !” exclaimed M., Orlande; “I thought it valuable, but this far exceeds my estimation of it.” “Sir,” resumed the jeweller, “I will not retract what I have said. I am an expert dealer, and to me it may possibly be worth far more than the sum I have fixed. I will make this proposition to you ; you shall take the rings you have selected, and you shall put .the box under an envelope stating it to be my property ; and, if it does not bring more than fifty thousand francs, you shall have my rings for nothing.” M. Orlande was completely blinded by this deep-laid scheme. He was a good connoisseur of objects of virtu, and he was not a little gratified to find his box so much over-valued, and to be able to obtain the rings without opening his purse. The most exaggerated valuation of his snuff box would scarcely have exceeded seven or eight thousand francs. He sent for two of his neighbors, one of whom was a notary, and the matter was arranged conformably with the jeweller’s

proposition. This being done, the invalid said — “ Who will fix the price of the box ?” “You, sir, 1 ’ coolly replied the jeweller. “ Me ? You are jesting.” “I assure you, sir, lam quite serious. I would willingly lay a good wager that you will value the box at five hundred thousand francs.” M. Orlande directed at the two witnesses a look which seemed to say the man is mad ; but the jeweller added—- " You will value it at that price, I am certain you will. But first of all I have to acquaint you with a circumstance connected with this box which will enable you to perceive its real value.” M. Orlande, full of curiosity and anxiety, consented to hear the jeweller’s communication. in private. ,The two neighbors, taking the box with them, adjourned to the draw-ing-room ; and M. Orlande and the jeweller being left alone, the latter said—- “ fciir, it is now about sixteen years ago since that snuff-box was stolen from me, and a short time after you robbed me of fifty thousand crowns worth of diamonds, under the assumed name of Prince Seminoff. I have now discovered you. My evidence relative to the robbery is on record. You have declared thesnufl-box to be yours, and I can prove having purchased it at a public sale. I know a secret which will place the truth of my assertion beyond a doubt. Now, sir, tell me whether you are inclined to defend yourself in the criminal suit which I intend forthwith to institute against you.” Every word uttered by the jeweller fell like a thunderbolt on the ears of M. Orlande. Overwhelmed with the consciousness of his guilt, his imagination pictured all the horrors of imprisonment, trial, sentence, and the scaffold. He reflected, and the jeweller said — “Sir, I give you five minutes to form your determination.” At the expiration of that interval M, Orlande, in a faltering voice, directed the jeweller to open a drawer in which he would find billets de banque for three thousand francs, and he signed a bond for two hundred thousands francs payable at his banker’s that day. This being done the jeweller called in his witnesses. “ Gentlemen,” said he, “ I have at length convinced M. Orlande of the real value of the snuff-box. You see the price at which he has purchased it back from me, “I have given five hundred thousand francs,” said M. Orlande. “Here is your box 1” said the jeweller, restoring it, “ and I will let you have the rings into the bargain.” The notary, who was no less amazed than the other witnesses, said—- “ There is some mystery in all this.” “Probably there is,” replied the jeweller. “ M. Orlande may explain it if he pleases ; for my part I promise him eternal secresy.” With these words he took his departure, leaving the witnesses bewildered in a maze of conjectures. M. Orlande, though immensely rich (he was said to possess upwards of three millions), never recovered from the mortification attendant on this unexpected discovery. The jeweller faithfully adhered to his promise of secrecy; but the subtle machinery of the police unravelled the mystery. _______________