The department to which Cimon at last came was specially attractive. Here, in an air through which stole the sweetness of the Indian nard and other costly aromatics, were piled or suspended miracles of the loom and needle, on some of which had been expended the labors of a life-time—veils like sea-foams, embroideries to which the glowing oriental fancy and patient fingers had transferred landscape and legend and history and the starry heavens; gold and silver brocade from beyond the Ganges; silks, tapestries, housings, rugs, shawls from Persia and Cashmere: the whole brightened and multiplied wonderfully by polished steel mirrors judiciously placed. At the centre of the department was the collection of precious stones. In a compartment whose walls were formed by suspended tapestries richly hued and pictured, in a case whose beauty and strength seemed to certify to the great value of its contents, lay pearls from the Persian Gulf, emeralds from the Caucasus, diamonds from the Oxus, turquoises from Medea, rubies from Bokhara, and many other gems—all skillfully arranged into a stony rainbow.
As Cimon passed close to the sparkling collection, and lingered over it for a moment as he passed, it struck him that the sparkle of some of the brilliants was not exactly that of genuine stones. But he might be mistaken. Something more than a passing glance is needed to enable even an expert to identify paste in its better specimens. But one thing he was quite sure of by this time, and that was that the light in the establishment was such as to make an accurate judgment of most of the goods very difficult to an average customer, while such as to set them off to the best advantage.
But he was now standing before the desk of the man whom he came to see.
“You have this department in charge, I believe,” said the Greek, as he courteously saluted a Jew who was no longer young.
Receiving an affirmative bow, Cimon proceeded:
“I am here in behalf of a friend who is not living in this city, to inquire the prices at which certain goods of the very best quality can be obtained. If you will furnish me with a large blank bill I will specify the articled in writing.”
A large blank bill was readily handed to him, on which he wrote a list of considerable length.
“Now will you oblige me,” said he, after having carefully read over what he had written, “by setting down opposite these several items the prices at which you could furnish them to-day?”
The man’s eyes snapped as he looked over the long list and saw how many expensive articles it included. When he had set down prices as requested, and had handed back the paper to Cimon, he said:
“The figures may seem to you somewhat large; but they are for first-class goods. In fact, I have made the prices smaller than they would be for small lots, considering the length of your list.”