Page:Frank Owen - The Actress.djvu/73

Rh were gone, save his jewels, which were valued at half a million, for, in addition to his wife's expenses, he had met with business reverses and suffered heavy financial losses. He brought with him this day, to the island, several magnificent sapphires and wanted me to loan him money on the gems. The risk was not great and I acceded to his wishes. After that his visits became more frequent and each time he brought stones of priceless worth with him, till at last his supply had run out and he knew not what to do. Then, one day, in his anger, he drove his wife from his home, and she went away, glad to be free, faithless adventuress, to wreck the life of some other man, perhaps, as she had that of Abdulla Pasha. Up to the time of his meeting with her, he had naught but the loftiest ideals; but after she left, all his ideals lay in ruins. He had a wonderful sacred door built which led into the now empty jewel-room. On the front were carvings representing the Lion and the Sun. It had a keyhole which was of no use, for there was no lock behind it. The door was closed and secured, in some manner unknown to me, and the Pasha circulated it about that he had lost the key to his treasure room, and borrowed great sums of money on the jewels which it was supposed to contain. But in reality the room was empty; the jewels were lying quietly in my vault on the Isle of Constantine. The scheme was a good one. No Musselman would dare to break the door open, for, by so doing, he would be wrecking that which is sacred to his people, and sure to be cursed with the wrath of Allah if he dared