Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Jew's Breastplate
"Withoutbeingabletomakeanabsoluteassertion,wehavemanyreasonstothinkthatitispossiblethatitmaybetheoriginalurimandthummimofSolomon’sTemple.ThereiscertainlynothingsofineinanycollectioninEurope.Myfriend,CaptainWilson,here,isapracticalauthorityuponpreciousstones,andhewouldtellyouhowpuretheseare."
CaptainWilson,amanwithadark,hard,incisiveface,wasstandingbesidehisfianceeattheothersideofthecase.
"Yes,"saidhe,curtly,"Ihaveneverseenfinerstones."
"Andthegold-workisalsoworthyofattention.Theancientsexcelledin——"—hewasapparentlyabouttoindicatethesettingofthestones,whenCaptainWilsoninterruptedhim.
"Youwillseeafinerexampleoftheirgold-workinthiscandlestick,"saidhe,turningtoanothertable,andwealljoinedhiminhisadmirationofitsembossedstemanddelicatelyornamentedbranches.Altogetheritwasaninterestingandanovelexperiencetohaveobjectsofsuchrarityexplainedbysogreatanexpert;andwhen,finally,ProfessorAndreasfinishedourinspectionbyformallyhandingoverthepreciouscollectiontothecareofmyfriend,Icouldnothelppityinghimandenvyinghissuccessorwhoselifewastopassinsopleasantaduty.Withinaweek,WardMortimerwasdulyinstalledinhisnewsetofrooms,andhadbecometheautocratoftheBelmoreStreetMuseum.
Aboutafortnightafterwardsmyfriendgaveasmalldinnertohalfadozenbachelorfriendstocelebratehispromotion.Whenhisguestsweredepartinghepulledmysleeveandsignalledtomethathewishedmetoremain.
