the table. Then he sat down at his desk and wrote in a steady, clear and precise hand a receipt worded thus:
"We,
the undersigned (here our names were inserted), in consideration of
Blank's having contributed five hundred francs in cash to a certain
charity, undertake solemnly to preserve an unbroken silence during the
lifetime of Blank concerning an affair of honour touching him closely.
May the good Lord preserve us from all temptation."
We duly signed, marvelling. Nor have we broken our promise, though Blank has been in the spirit world for many years.
One
dealer for whom I often did business was M. Roeder, an illiterate
self-made man who was an acknowledged expert in rubies and sapphires
of the finest grades. He never bought his stones fully cut, but either
in the rough (for preference), or Indian cut; that is, indifferently
shaped and faceted. M. Roeder taught me that it is never wise to send a large parcel of goods to the lapidary, however reputable.
"There
is too much temptation," he used to say, "to slip in what does not
belong. Besides, why give an opportunity to suspect the lapidary if a
parcel does not turn out as well as expected?" It may be necessary to
explain that however well graded, a parcel of gems in the rough will
often give unpredictable results when the stones have been ground and
polished. They may either disappoint or turn out like Cinderella in the
fairy tale.
When
Roeder gave out his goods he weighed each stone separately, noted its
weight, drew its contour and finally immersed it in a glass of water to
ascertain in
