For a day or two,
perhaps, after leaving Cocheforet, while the mountain
road and its chances occupied his thoughts, he had not
discovered his loss. Then he had searched for the
precious sachet, missed it, and returned hot-foot on his
tracks.
The longer I considered the circumstances the more
certain I was that I had hit on the true solution; and
all that night I sat wakeful in the darkness, pondering
what I should do. The stones, unset as they were, could
never be identified, never be claimed. The channel by
which they had come to my hands could never be traced.
To all intents they were mine; mine, to do with as I
pleased! Fifteen thousand crowns, perhaps twenty
thousand crowns, and I to leave at six in the morning,
whether I would or no! I might leave for Spain with the
jewels in my pocket. Why not?
I confess I was tempted. And indeed the gems were so
fine that I doubt not some indifferently honest men
would have sold salvation for them. But--a Berault his
honour? No. I was tempted, I say; but not for long.
Thank God, a man may be reduced to living by the
fortunes of the dice, and may even be called by a woman
'spy' and 'coward,' without becoming a thief! The
temptation soon left me--I take credit for it--and I
fell to thinking of this and that plan for making use of
them.
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