Volume I Part 73 (1/2)
The coreatly astonished, looked at his son, and said, with the voice of a judge on the bench,
”Well, son, would you ever have thought that I would be offered one thousand sequins for this knife?”
He then opened a drawer and took out of it an old piece of paper, which he placed before me It ritten in Hebrew, and a facsimile of the knife was drawn on it I pretended to be lost in adly to purchase the sheath
”It is not necessary for me to buy it, or for your friend to purchase the knife We can find out and dig up the treasures together”
”Not at all The rubric says in the inam', shall be one If the Pope were in possession of it he would be able, through a ical operation known to ht be thinking of encroaching upon the rights of the Church”
”Wonderful, indeed! But it is very true, for it is said in the Gospel that Saint Peter did cut off the ear of so”
”Of a king, I tell you Enquire whether Malek or Melek does not ”
”Well! in case I should ive me the thousand sequins?”
”I would; one half to-morrow, cash down; the balance of five hundred in a letter of exchange payable one ood enough, to accept a dish of e of secrecy ill discuss this important affair”
I accepted and tookup the joke I ca he told e, there was an immense treasure hidden somewhere in the Papal States, and that he would make up his mind to purchase the sheath This satisfiedI was quite ready to coain for the purchase of the knife
”The Treasure,” he said, ”is worthto be served in silver plates and dishes, but in real Raphael nificence astonishes me; h an ignorant fool would only consider it ugly earthen ware”
The cohted him
After dinner, he spoke as follows:
”Ain the Papal States, and owner of the country house in which he lives with all his family, is certain that there is a treasure in his cellar He has written tohimself ready to undertake all expenses necessary to possess hiician powerful enough to unearth it”
The son then took a letter out of his pocket, read ed ed himself to keep the secret, he could not communicate all the contents of the letter; but I had, unperceived by hie, and that was enough for ivethe sheath on credit, for I have no ready cash at present
You need not be afraid of endorsing ician you ician is ready; it is I, but unless you give ree”
”I have no money”
”Then sell , for now that I have seen it I can easily take it froh not to wish to play such a trick upon you”
”You could take my knife from me? I should like to be convinced of that, but I do not believe it”