Page:Henry rideout--The siamese cat.djvu/156

 The ingenuity at once amused and angered him. Safely smuggled out of the goldsmith's shop; stowed in a place too incredible for search, yet always in sight, always easily watched: this stone, which already had killed two men, had weighted Laura with unknown responsibility and danger. A thief and murderer had made her his pretext of respectability, his stalking-horse and receiver. "He will pay for it," said Scarlett. "Go on."

"Then I asked for my money!" cried the clerk hoarsely. "He laughed, this big man! He said, 'Why should I pay you? Go ask your master. You are a fool!'

"I saw this was true. First I thought, 'I will go kill myself on his door-step.' But he does not fear the evil spirits: he would only laugh. Then I thought 'He shall not have the ruby.' So I told the Pockmarked and the other two. The tall coolie, you say, he killed. But we