and its sale for such a purpose had turned the limelight upon her most enviably. It was a new idea in advertising, and had proved an admirable success.
So the four reticent gentlemen were the guardians of the diamond. In normal circumstances this might have been interesting, but, as I have tried to make clear, another matter engrossed my attention. In fact, I was living in a dream world.
Of course, my opportunity came, in due course. One evening, as I mooned on the shadowy deck--which was quite deserted, because an extempore dance was taking place on the deck below-- she came gliding along toward me. I could see her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
At first I feared that she was going to turn back. She hesitated, in a wildly alluring manner, when first she saw me sitting there watching her. Then, turning her head aside, she came on, and passed me. I never took my eyes off that graceful figure for a moment.
Coming to the rail, she leaned and looked out toward the coast of Crete, where silver tracing in the blue marked the mountain peaks; then, shivering slightly, and wrapping her embroidered shawl more closely about her shoulders, she retraced her steps. Not a yard from where I sat, she dropped a little silk handkerchief on the deck!
How my heart leaped at that! The rest was a magical whirl; and ten seconds later I was chatting with her. She spoke fluent French, but little English.
She appealed to me in a way that was new, and almost irresistible; it was an appeal quite Oriental-- sensuous, indescribable. Of course, I cannot hope to make you understand; but it was extraordinary. I felt that I was losing my head; the glances of those long, dark eyes were setting me on fire.
Suddenly, she terminated this, our first tete-atete. She raised her finger to her veiled lips, and glided away into the shadows like a phantom. A sentence died, unfinished, on my tongue. I turned, and looked over my shoulder.
Gad, I got a fright! A most hideous Oriental of some kind, having only one eye, but that afire with malignancy, was watching me from where he stood half concealed by a boat. My lily of Damascus was guarded!
Humming, with an assumption of unconcern, I strolled away and joined the dancers below.
III. A Guest Unrewarded.
THAT was the beginning, then. I hated to think how short a time was at my disposal; but since, the very next morning, I found myself enjoying a second delicious little stolen interview, I perceived that my company was not inacceptable.
What? Yes; I had lost my head entirely. I admit the fact.
It was an effort to speak of ordinary matters, topics of the ship; my impulse was to whisper delicious nonsense into those tiny ears.
However, I forced myself to talk about things in general, and told her that the famous diamond, Lure of Souls, was aboard. This was news to her, and she seemed to be tremendously interested.
Her interest was of such a childish sort, so naive, that a project grew up in my mind at that very moment. It was hardly a matter of so many words; there was nothing definite about the thing at all, and this, our second interview, was cut short in much the same manner as the first.
'Ssh! Mustapha!' she had whispered.
With those words, and a dazzling smile, this jewel of Damascus, who interested me so much more deeply than the rajah's diamond, departed hurriedly--and I turned to meet again the malignant gaze of the one-eyed guardian.
The sort of romance in which I was steeped at that time flourishes and grows fat upon incidents of this kind. I have searched my memory many a time since then for some word or hint to prove that the conversation about the diamond was opened and guided in a desired direction by the lady of the yashmak; but, excluding transmission of thought, I could never find any evidence of the kind--have never been able to do so.
Certainly my memories of that period are hazy except in regard to Nahemah. If I were an artist, I could paint her portrait from memory without the slightest error, I think. She occupied my thoughts to the exclusion of all else.
But the project was formed and carried out. Hamilton was one of those popular men who seem born to occupy the chair at any kind of meeting at which they may be present; he organized almost every entertainment that took place on board.
At first he was not at all keen on the idea.
'There are all sorts of difficulties,' he said; 'and one doesn't care to ask a favor of a native. At any rate, one doesn't care to be refused.'
But I had set my heart upon gratifying Nahemah's curiosity, and, with the aid of Hamilton, it was all arranged satisfactorily. The native guardians of the diamond were rather flattered than otherwise, and a select little party of the 'best' people on board met in the chief officer's cabin to view the Lure of Souls.
The difficulty in regard to Nahemah was readily overcome by Hamilton, the energetic, and Doctor Patterson's wife 'took her up' for the occasion in a delightfully patronizing, manner. The four swarthy, polite Orientals were there, of course; several other ladies in addition to Mrs. Patterson, Nahemah, the chief officer, myself, Hamilton, and a sepulchral Scotch curate, the Reverend Mr. Rawlingson, whom I had scarcely noticed hitherto, and whose presence at this 'select' gathering rather surprised me.
The sea was like a sheet of glass, and this was the hottest day which I had yet experienced. It was about an hour before lunch time when we gathered to view the diamond; and Mr. Brodie, the chief officer, exercised his subtle humor in a series of elaborate pantomimic precautions, locking the door with labored care, and treating the ladies of the company to Bluebeard glances of frightful intensity.
At last one of the Indians took out the diamond from its case--which had been brought from the strong room a few minutes before. It was a wonderful thing, I suppose, of quite unusual size, and it sparkled and gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the open porthole in an absolutely dazzling fashion.
I had ranged myself close beside Nahemah. Each of us was permitted to handle the stone. It was I who passed it to her, Mr. Rawlingson having passed it to me. She held it in the palm of her little hand, and her eyes sparkled with childish delight as she bent to examine the gem.
Then a very strange thing happened. From somewhere behind me--I was sitting with my back to the porthole--a dull, gray object came leaping and twirling; and a scorpion--I have never seen a larger specimen--fell upon Nahemah's wrist!
She uttered a piercing cry, dropped the diamond, and brushed the horrid insect from her wrist; then she fell swooning into my arms.
A scene of incredible confusion followed. The four Indians, ignoring the presence of the scorpion, dropped like cats upon the floor, seeking for the Lure of Souls. Mrs. Patterson and I carried Nahemah to the sofa hard by and laid her upon it. Just as we did so the scorpion darted from between the end of the sofa and the wardrobe, and the chief officer put his foot upon it.
Ensuing events were indescribable. Since the diamond had not yet been picked up, obviously the cabin door could not be unlocked; so in the stuffy atmosphere of the place it was a matter of some difficulty to revive Nahemah. Meanwhile, four wild-eyed Indians were creeping about at our feet--like cats, as I have said before.
In the end, just as the girl began to revive, it became evident that The Lure of Souls was missing. A pearl shirt button, the ownership of which we were unable to establish, was picked up, but no diamond.
The chief officer showed himself a man of priceless tact. He rang for the stewardess and the ladies were shepherded to a neighboring, vacant cabin. Then the door was relocked, and Mr. Brodie proceeded to strip, placing his garments one by one upon the little folding table for examination. He was not satisfied until every man present had overhauled them. We all followed his example, the Reverend Mr.
Rawlingson last of all. The Lure of Souls was still missing.
Then we gave the chief officer's cabin such a searching as it had never had before, I should assume. Our quest was unrewarded. Meanwhile, the ladies had been submitted to a similar search in the adjoining cabin; same result.
With great difficulty we succeeded in hushing up the matter to a certain extent; but the captain's language to the chief officer was appalling, and the chief officer's remarks to Hamilton were equally unparliamentary.
Hamilton seemed to consider that he was justified in placing the whole blame upon me, which he did in terms little short of insulting.
