"In that case, madame, I can guess the motive of your call...."
"But, monsieur ..."
"Yes!... That is so!... Ever since my approaching marriage has been announced, I have received, every day, a dozen visits from jewellers, goldsmiths, upholsterers, and so on ... I regret to have to tell you that you will not be able to persuade me to buy ... that my betrothed has received so many wedding presents that there is no room for more....
I do not require one single thing...."
Although Thomery had spoken in a tone which did not admit of any reply, although he had risen the better to mark his intention of cutting short the call, the diamond broker had remained seated, leaning back in her arm-chair.... She gave no sign of being ready to go away.
"Consequently, madame," continued Thomery....
His visitor laughed.
"Monsieur, you have very quickly made up your mind that I have nothing interesting to offer you! I have not come to offer you ordinary jewels...."
It was Thomery"s turn to smile slightly.
"I quite understand, madame, that you should think your merchandise exceptional.... But once more ..."
The broker interrupted the sugar refiner with a movement of her hand.
"Do listen to me a moment, monsieur!... Though I am a diamond broker, diamonds are not what I have come to ask you to purchase ... it is a question of something quite different...."
She paused deliberately: Thomery gazed at her without saying a word.
"You know, monsieur," continued the broker, "that in such a business as mine, one is obliged to see a great many jewellers every day; well, in the course of my peregrinations, I found at a jeweller"s--you must allow me to withhold his name--some pearls, which I am certain you will find are a wonderful bargain...."
"For the last time, madame, I do not want a wonderful bargain!"
The agent smiled curiously.
"There are some things which simply do not allow themselves to be refused," she declared.... She now drew from her pocket a little jewel-case; and, notwithstanding Thomery"s unconcealed impatience, opened it, and selected two pearls which she held out to him.
"Do examine these jewels! You are going to tell me that they are perfectly beautiful, are you not, Monsieur Thomery?"
The diamond broker offered them so naturally that Thomery gave way. He examined the pearls: he was a connoisseur.
"In truth, madame, these pearls are superb; unfortunately I am not enough of an expert to buy them without taking competent advice, that is if I thought of acquiring them eventually, but I repeat, I have no wish to acquire such things!"
"Deuce take it!" thought Thomery. "This broker won"t take "no" for an answer! Since I cannot rid myself of her by being pleasant, I shall make myself disagreeable!"
But the would-be seller still insisted.
"Monsieur, you really cannot be a connoisseur, otherwise I am sure you would not return these pearls to me."
"But, madame!..."
"And I am convinced that if Princess Sonia Danidoff had had them in her hand instead of you, she would have been greatly taken with them!"
The broker had emphasised her words so strangely that, suddenly, Thomery hesitated.
What did this mysterious visitor mean? What was it she considered so "extraordinary" about the jewels she had just submitted to him?... A suspicion flashed across his mind.
"Whence come these pearls, madame?"
But, at this question, the broker got up.
"Monsieur Thomery," declared she, "I should be very vexed with myself were I to make you lose your evening ... your time is precious; besides, in order to give you a proper answer to your question, I should have to make certain of facts I only now guess at.... Still, I think that without having told you anything definite, I have made you sufficiently understand what is in my mind,... you will not now doubt the interest that the Princess Sonia Danidoff would have, were she able to examine these jewels...."
"Is that so?"
"Consequently, Monsieur Thomery, I am going to ask you if you will kindly show these pearls to the Princess; and then if you will be good enough to let me know what decision you come to, jointly with her.... If you were a buyer, I fancy I might let you have these jewels on quite exceptional terms."
Thomery visibly hesitated.... He was looking at the pearls, which he was still holding in his hand, and he thought.
"One might swear that these are two of the pearls stolen from Sonia at my ball!"
Thomery did not reply at once. The broker was looking at him with a smile; she seemed to guess his thoughts. Thomery, on his side, was examining the woman.
"Is she simply a police informer?" he asked himself. "One of these women who apparently are dealers, but are really in the pay of the police, and frequent jewellers for the purpose of tracing stolen jewels?"
He was on the verge of asking her who she was, but he refrained.
If this woman had not presented herself under her true colours, evidently she wished to pa.s.s for an ordinary dealer. It was possible that she was really a receiver of stolen goods!
Thomery came to a decision.
"I shall have the privilege of seeing the Princess Danidoff to-morrow afternoon; will you therefore leave the pearls with me?... I will show them to her. Should she express the slightest wish to possess them, I might possibly come to terms with you...."
"Dearest, it is sweet of you to make no objection to the way in which I obtained this jewel for you to see, and to choose for your own, if you will.... The correct thing would have been to ask you to accompany me to some well-known jeweller, instead of which, I frankly confess, that these pearls were offered to me on very advantageous terms. If they please you, it will give me the greatest pleasure to see them adorning your graceful neck."
Princess Sonia laughed.
"My dear, for Heaven"s sake, don"t worry about such a thing as that!...
A pearl is not less beautiful because it comes from some unpretentious jeweller"s shop. I am too fond of jewels for their own sake, to trouble about the casket that enshrines them!"
Thomery bowed, well pleased.
"Here then, dear Sonia, are the two pearls entrusted to me as samples ... please, dearest, examine them carefully, very carefully ... and if you like them, tell me so frankly...."
The Princess took the two pearls from the betrothed, and, crossing the great drawing-room, she approached one of the bay windows, lifting the thin hangings that she might the better examine the pearls.
"They are marvellous!" she cried.
"Dear Sonia, you think these gems rarely beautiful?"
"Indeed I do! Their l.u.s.tre is superb; their quality, their shape, perfect!... Why, my dear, these are the most splendid pearls I have ever seen--with one exception--the only pearls to equal them are those that were stolen from me!... The loss of them has been a bitter grief ...