Portal logo
110
Gem Trader
huntress and man the hunted. She was not content to leave me alone. Somehow, because I was simply not in­terested in her, she became more and more determined. She wrote me little billets-doux and bribed the concierge to act as go-between. But it wasn't any use, and to this day I marvel that such a charming creature should have bothered over a poor awkward cold youth like myself.
Yet, though I never became her customer, she was to be mine in the end. Some years after my Paris days, when all memory of her had faded from my mind, I met her again. No, not in rags in the gutter, but as radiantly beautiful as ever and "settled down"—that is, she was being kept by a wealthy and generous Argentinian and had quite made up her mind to be true to him, because she was tired of the gay life. She was after more emeralds and had heard that I had an exceedingly fine Colombian emerald for sale. I sold it to her, and as we parted, I with a bow, she put out a hand and laid it on my arm. "You know, mon cerni, that my grand passion was and is for one who scorned me. I should hate you for it. But no, I remain your friend. I will even pray for you when I come to my second childhood and take to religion."
But if I had been Margot's grand passion, I at least shared her heart with emeralds. When I think of that strange unruly woman I think of the green stones, and whether for this or another reason they are by far my favourites among gems. From the point of view of hard­ness it is inferior to the ruby (8.5) and the sapphire (9), being only 7.5. It is therefore much softer than either of the other two precious stones, but I do not consider that