Знак чотирьох
XII. The Strange Story of Jonathan Small
“Itlaywherehehaddroppeditwhenhewasfirstattacked.Theboxwasthesamewhichnowliesopenuponyourtable.Akeywashungbyasilkencordtothatcarvedhandleuponthetop.Weopenedit,andthelightofthelanterngleameduponacollectionofgemssuchasIhavereadofandthoughtaboutwhenIwasalittleladatPershore.Itwasblindingtolookuponthem.Whenwehadfeastedoureyeswetookthemalloutandmadealistofthem.Therewereonehundredandforty-threediamondsofthefirstwater,includingonewhichhasbeencalled,Ibelieve,‘theGreatMogul’andissaidtobethesecondlargeststoneinexistence.Thentherewereninety-sevenveryfineemeralds,andonehundredandseventyrubies,someofwhich,however,weresmall.Therewerefortycarbuncles,twohundredandtensapphires,sixty-oneagates,andagreatquantityofberyls,onyxes,cats’-eyes,turquoises,andotherstones,theverynamesofwhichIdidnotknowatthetime,thoughIhavebecomemorefamiliarwiththemsince.Besidesthis,therewerenearlythreehundredveryfinepearls,twelveofwhichweresetinagoldcoronet.Bytheway,theselasthadbeentakenoutofthechestandwerenottherewhenIrecoveredit.
“AfterwehadcountedourtreasuresweputthembackintothechestandcarriedthemtothegatewaytoshowthemtoMahometSingh.Thenwesolemnlyrenewedouroathtostandbyeachotherandbetruetooursecret.Weagreedtoconcealourlootinasafeplaceuntilthecountryshouldbeatpeaceagain,andthentodivideitequallyamongourselves.
