This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
While Rustem, to whom Mary had entrusted the jeweller's gold, was makinghis preparations for their journey with all the care of a practisedguide, and while Mary was comforting her governess and Mandane, to whomshe explained that Rustem's journey was to save Paula's life, a freshtrial was going forward in the Court of Justice.
This time Orion was the accused. He had scarcely begun to study the mapsand lists he required for his undertaking when he was bidden to appearbefore his judges.
The members composing the Court were the same as yesterday. Among thewitnesses were Paula and the new bishop, as well as Gamaliel, who hadbeen sent for soon after Mary had left him.
The prosecutor accused the son of the Mukaukas of having made away, indefiance of the patriarch's injunction, with a costly emerald bequeathedto the Church by his father.
Orion had determined to conduct his own defence; he recapitulatedeverything that he had told the prelate in self-justification in hisfather's private room, and then added, that to put a speedy end to thisodious affair he was now prepared to restore the stone, and he placed itat the disposal of his judges. He handed Paula's emerald to the Kadi whopresented it to the bishop. John, however, did not seem satisfied; hereferred to the written testimony of the widow Susannah, who had beenpresent when the deceased Mukaukas had designated all the jewels in thePersian hanging as included in his gift to the Church. This was inOrion's presence so he was still under suspicion of a fraud; and it wasdifficult to determine whether the fine gem now lying on the table beforethem were indeed the same to which the Church laid claim.
All this was urged with excessive vehemence and bore the stamp of ahostile purpose.
Obedience and conviction alike prompted the zealous prelate to thisdemeanor, for the same carrier-pigeon which had brought from thepatriarch his appointment to the bishopric required him to insist onOrion's punishment, for he was a thorn in the flesh of the Jacobitechurch, a tainted sheep who might infect the rest of the flock. If theyoung man should offer an emerald it was therefore to be closelyexamined, to see whether it were the original stone or a substitute.
On these grounds the bishop had expressed his doubts, and though theygave rise to an indignant murmur among the judges, the Kadi so faradmitted the prelate's suspicions as to explain that last evening aletter had reached him from his uncle at Djidda, Haschim the merchant, inwhich mention was made of the emerald. His son happened to have weighedthat stone, without his knowledge, before he started for Egypt, andOthman had here a note of its exact weight. The Jew Gamaliel had beendesired to attend with his balances, and could at once use them tosatisfy the bishop.
The jeweller immediately proceeded to do so, and old Horapollo, who wasan expert in such matters, went close up to him, and watched himnarrowly.
It was in feverish anxiety, and more eagerly than any other bystander,that Paula and Orion kept their eyes fixed on the Jew's hands and lips;after weighing it once, he did so a second time. Old Horapollo himselfweighed it a third t