Part 2 (2/2)

”Don't do so,” said Jorgli, angrily, and pulled Moni up, for in his grief he had thrown himself face down on the ground. ”Stand up, you know the kid really belongs to the landlord and he can do what he likes with her. Think no more about it! Come, I know something. See! See!”

Whereupon Jorgli held out one hand to Moni, and with the other almost covered the object, which Moni was to admire; it sparkled wonderfully in his hand, for the sun shone straight into it.

”What is it?” asked Moni, when it sparkled again, lighted up by a sunbeam.

”Guess!”

”A ring?”

”No, but something like that.”

”Who gave it to you?”

”Gave it to me? n.o.body. I found it myself.”

”Then it does not belong to you, Jorgli.”

”Why not? I didn't take it from anybody. I almost stepped on it with my foot, then it would have been broken; so I can just as well keep it.”

”Where did you find it?”

”Down by the Bath House, yesterday evening.”

”Then some one from the house below lost it. You must tell the landlord, and if you don't, I will do it this evening.”

”No, no, Moni, don't do that,” said Jorgli, beseechingly. ”See, I will show you what it is, and I will sell it to a maid in one of the hotels, but she will surely have to give me four francs; then I will give you one or two, and n.o.body will know anything about it.”

”I will not take it! I will not take it!” interrupted Moni, hotly, ”and the dear Lord has heard everything you have said.”

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”_Jorgli had opened his band. In it lay a cross set with a large number of stones_.”]

Jorgli looked up to the sky: ”Oh, so far away,” he said skeptically; but he immediately began to speak more softly.

”He hears you still,” said Moni, confidently.

It was no longer Jorgli's secret. If he didn't know how to bring Moni to his side, all would be lost. He thought and thought.

”Moni,” he said suddenly, ”I will promise you something that will delight you, if you will not say anything to a human being about what I have found; you really don't need to take anything for it, then you will have nothing to do with it. If you will do as I say, I will make my father buy Maggerli, so she will not be killed. Will you?”

A hard struggle arose in Moni. It was wrong to help keep the discovery secret. Jorgli had opened his hand. In it lay a cross set with a large number of stones, which sparkled in many colors. Moni realized that it was not a worthless thing which no one would inquire about; he felt exactly as if he himself should be keeping what did not belong to him if he remained silent. But on the other hand was the little, affectionate Maggerli, that was going to be killed in a horrible way with a knife, and he could prevent it if he kept silent. Even now the little kid was lying so trustfully beside him, as if, she knew that he would always keep it; no, he could not let this happen, he must try to save it.

”Yes, I will, Jorgli,” he said, but without any enthusiasm.

”Then it is a bargain!” and Jorgli offered his hand to Moni, that he might seal the argument, as that was the only way to make a promise binding.

Jorgli was very glad that now his secret was safe; but as Moni had become so quiet, and he had much farther to go to reach home than Moni, he considered it well to start along with his two goats. He said good-night to Moni and whistled for his two companions, which meanwhile had joined Moni's grazing goats, but not without much pus.h.i.+ng and other doubtful behavior between the two parties, for the goats from Fideris had never heard that they ought to be polite to visitors and the goats from Kublis did not know that they ought not to seek out the best plants or push the others away from them, when they were visiting. When Jorgli had gone some distance down the mountain, Moni also started along with his flock, but he was very still and neither sang a note nor whistled, all the way home.

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