Then, as though he did not wish Kinlay to overhear his offer, he followed me, taking me by the sleeve:
"Ah! mine friend," he said coaxingly, "I see you know wot it is. Very well, den, I gif you a sovereign."
"A sovereign!" I exclaimed aloud.
And Kinlay, who had now come up to us, opened his eyes in surprise.
"Take the money, man," he urged.
"Nay, nay," I said. "If you like to give the value of two hundred pounds in exchange for ten guineas, I am certainly not so green. Besides, ye ken weel enough that those things were not rightly yours. Mr. Drever has told you that."
He did not appear to notice the latter part of what I said.
"Two hundred pounds!" he exclaimed, looking from me to the Jew. "Two hundred pounds! What d'ye mean?"
"I mean," I said calmly, "that you have been swindled. It's a ruby stone ye hae sold him, a ruby worth two hundred pounds."
I will not soon forget the expression that came into Tom's eyes when he heard this. It was a look first of incredulity, as though he supposed I was simply playing upon him. Then it changed to a look of defeat as he realized how much he had been cheated by the crafty old Jew. He turned round to vent his indignation upon Isaac, swearing and uttering threats of vengeance.