Page:Ballinger Price--Fortune of the Indies.djvu/274

 chest, with, the seal that he had broken in the house of Huen—was it years ago?

"Open it, old Jane," he said.

So Jane lifted the cover, and there floated up to her unbelieving eyes the dusky gleam of gold, the cloudy radiance of pearls, the deep fire of rubies, the cool sea-green of jade. She touched the things cautiously, but they remained as solid as before. "Oh, who could imagine it!" she said in a hushed voice. "I—I thought it would be bank-notes!"

Mr. Tyler was peering over one shoulder and Mr. Bolliver over the other.

"Unless I'm very much mistaken," Mr. Tyler said, "these things are worth more than two hundred thousand taels to-day. My soul, Bart, look at that ruby alone!"

"Please take 'em all away," said Mark wearily, "and put them in your safe before something more happens to them. And the sooner they're turned into solid, secure money in the bank, the happier I'll be."

"But oh!" said Jane, looking wistfully within the closing lid, "it's such a wonderful treasure, just the way it is!"