"Come with me, then, and I will see what I can do for you."
"He may be useful to us," said Knops to Leo, adding, "We never allow these diamonds to be put in the quartz beds; they are all reserved for our own particular uses. It takes so long a time to make them that only elves of great patience and a certain quiet habit of mind are trained to the task. Look!"
He pointed towards what appeared to be a glittering cobweb hanging from a projection on the wall. It was composed of silver wires, on which were strung numbers of small but most exquisite gems, each of which sparkled and flashed with its imprisoned light.
"In the same way," he resumed, "All the pearls we use are of our own cultivation, if I may use the term. We secure the oysters and insert small objects within the shells, generally a seed-pearl of insignificant size, leaving it to be worked upon by the living fish; when enough time for the incrustation has elapsed we find our pearls grown to a remarkable size, of rarest
beauty and value. These processes are not unknown to man, but men are so clumsy that they seldom succeed in perfecting them."
Leo by this time was quite exhausted both by what he had seen and by what he had heard, and he begged Knops to allow him to rest.
"Certainly, certainly, my dear," said Knops. "Pardon me for wearying you. I am more scientific than hospitable. Come to our sleeping apartment. I think I shall allow Paz to see you, for, as he is so unhappy, it will divert him to serve you while you remain with us, and perhaps, too, he can suggest something suitable for your food. I ought to have thought of this before."
Leo had, with three or four bites, disposed of an apple, and had already begun on a turnip, when Knops, giving Paz a peculiar sign, the spidery little fellow reached up and snatched the turnip from Leo's hand.
"What's the matter now?" asked Leo, too tired to regain it, easily as he could have done so.
"I can't see anybody eat such wretched stuff as that; wait till I cook it," said Paz.