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Updated: May 2, 2025
All rare and costly materials had certainly a great fascination for him, and in his eagerness to procure them he had sent away many merchants, some to traffic for amber with the rough fisher-folk of the north seas, some to Egypt to look for that curious green turquoise which is found only in the tombs of kings, and is said to possess magical properties, some to Persia for silken carpets and painted pottery, and others to India to buy gauze and stained ivory, moonstones and bracelets of jade, sandal-wood and blue enamel and shawls of fine wool.
He murmured a few low words to which the Colonel listened with a frown. It was his habit to frown always at the unexpected. He turned after a moment to Sir Reginald. "There's a messenger arrived from the Palace with a box of sweets or something. What?" breaking off ferociously as the orderly's lips moved soundlessly. "Moonstones, sahib," murmured the orderly with deference.
To return, then, to my supposition let us suppose that the aerial visitants I have mentioned, possessed of vastly superior knowledge to ourselves that is to say, possessed of superior knowledge in the art of extermination riding on hippogriffs defended with impenetrable armor armed with concentrated sunbeams, and provided with vast engines, to hurl enormous moonstones; in short, let us suppose them, if our vanity will permit the supposition, as superior to us in knowledge, and consequently in power, as the Europeans were to the Indians when they first discovered them.
"Moonstones," repeated the Colonel, in a tone of vast contempt, "to be presented to the lady wearing the best make-up in the room. What on earth am I to do, sir?" "Accept with thanks, I should say," said Sir Reginald, with a smile. "Oh, I don't mean that," said the Colonel, frowning still more. "But who the dickens is going to decide as to the merits of the ladies' costumes? Not I and not my wife!
The pale locks of the youths were clustered within circlets of translucent, glimmering gems like moonstones. And then, crystal globe alternately before and harp alternately held by youth and maid, they began to sing. What was that song, I do not know nor ever shall. Archaic, ancient beyond thought, it seemed not with the ancientness of things that for uncounted ages have been but wind-driven dust.
This was a cloud-burst of the rarest jewels which, till that moment, had been held in solution in a subterranean cavern, but which had suddenly crystallized into a million radiant forms on thus emerging into light and air. The sun was shining through the glittering mass; and myriads of diamonds, moonstones, pearls, and opals mingled in splendid rivalry two hundred feet above our heads.
She was not sorry that she was thus raised above him, for he was very dirty. The voluminous chuddah in which he was swathed looked as if it had wrapped him in those selfsame folds for many years. "But what is the sahib doing?" she asked. "Why doesn't he come?" The old man wagged a deferential beard. "Excellency, how should a poor old seller of moonstones know?" "Oh!"
A man in blood-red jersey and long boots, all shining with moisture, stands at the bows holding up the carcase of a silver-bellied sea-otter from whose pelt the wet drips in moonstones. Now the artist who could paint the silver wash of the mist, the wriggling treacly reflection of the boat, and the raw red wrists of the man would be something of a workman.
I picked it up and put it in my pocket. Then I began to consider what I should do. I came to the conclusion that I had no right to spy on her, and I drove down to the club. At six I called to see her. She was lying on a sofa, in a tea-gown of silver tissue looped up by some strange moonstones that she always wore. She was looking quite lovely.
Following the scattered gems, which had the appearance of having been spilled from some treasure-casket heaped too high, the hunter came to a low door, and opening this door, he discovered a flight of stone steps leading to the turret. The steps were strewn carelessly with the finest emeralds, topazes, beryls, moonstones, rubies, and crystal diamonds.
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