“Don’t have anything to do wi’ the auld thief!” he whispered, dragging me aside.  “Come away, lad, an’ let me tell ye something.”

But the Jew was already examining my little black stone, and asking me to take the cord that held it off my neck.  He scratched its smooth surface with his long finger nails, and then took out an old knife from his pocket and was proceeding to insert the blade under the gold ring that encircled the stone.  I snatched my precious talisman from him, and replaced it under the collar of my knitted shirt.  The Jew looked surprised; but without heeding him I turned away with Captain Flett, who walked with me some distance from the dispersing crowd.

When we were alone beside one of the sheds he said: 

“It’s all right now, Ericson, my lad.  I wanted but to save ye frae makin’ a fule o’ yersel, like Carver Kinlay’s lad.”

“Why,” I said, “Kinlay has made a very good bargain, has he not?”

“Simpleton!” said the skipper.  “Ye didna hear what yon Dutch sailor said to the auld Jew, eh?”

“I heard, captain, but of course I didna understand,” I said.

“Weel, my lad, I understood,” said he.  “The Dutchman asked him what kind o’ gem it was he had gotten frae the boy.

“‘It’s a ruby,’ said the Jew.

“’Oho!’said the Dutchman.  ’It’s a rare big one, though.  How muckle might ye be expectin’ to get for it across the water—­a couple o’ hundred?’

“Then the auld Jew gave the Dutchman a wink, and said, ’Maybe a thousand dollars, mynheer.’

“So ye see, Ericson, if the auld swindler could count upon gettin’, let us say, two hundred pounds English for the stone over in Amsterdam, ye can hardly say that young Kinlay got a big price for’t, can ye?”

I was astounded at this information.  Such unfairness appeared to my boyish mind as criminal in the extreme.  But a wider knowledge of the world has since taught me that in commercial transactions things are not always bought and sold at their proper value.

I thanked my skipper friend, while telling him that I had myself had no intention of dealing with the merchant.

Scarcely had I left Mr. Flett two minutes before I heard someone walking hurriedly behind me.  I was quickly overtaken by old Isaac and Tom Kinlay.

“Ericson,” said Tom with a friendly tone in his voice, as though we had never quarrelled.  “Let the old man hae a sight o’ that thing ye’ve got round yer neck, will ye?”

I put my hands in my trousers pockets, and made no reply.

“I gif you tree shilling for it,” said the Jew.

“Keep your dirty money, sir,” I said, turning on my heel.

Then, as though he did not wish Kinlay to overhear his offer, he followed me, taking me by the sleeve: 

“Ah! mine friend,” he said coaxingly, “I see you know wot it is.  Very well, den, I gif you a sovereign.”

“A sovereign!” I exclaimed aloud.