And Kinlay, who had now come up to us, opened his eyes in surprise.

“Take the money, man,” he urged.

“Nay, nay,” I said.  “If you like to give the value of two hundred pounds in exchange for ten guineas, I am certainly not so green.  Besides, ye ken weel enough that those things were not rightly yours.  Mr. Drever has told you that.”

He did not appear to notice the latter part of what I said.

“Two hundred pounds!” he exclaimed, looking from me to the Jew.  “Two hundred pounds!  What d’ye mean?”

“I mean,” I said calmly, “that you have been swindled.  It’s a ruby stone ye hae sold him, a ruby worth two hundred pounds.”

I will not soon forget the expression that came into Tom’s eyes when he heard this.  It was a look first of incredulity, as though he supposed I was simply playing upon him.  Then it changed to a look of defeat as he realized how much he had been cheated by the crafty old Jew.  He turned round to vent his indignation upon Isaac, swearing and uttering threats of vengeance.

“Ye auld long-nosed deevil!” he exclaimed.  “Ye heathen swindler!  Gie me back the stone!”

But Isaac had already slipped away from the spot like a startled trout.  We saw his long coattails disappear round the corner of an alley that led down to the harbour.  Kinlay followed him, still swearing and threatening, and got down to the quay just in time to see the old Jew jump into a boat that had been waiting for him.  The boat belonged to a Dutch brig that was putting out to sea, and when old Isaac got aboard, the anchor was already at the cat head and the sails were bellying in the wind.

Frustrated in his revenge upon the Jew, Kinlay now turned upon me his indignation.  He accused me of willingly allowing him to sell the ruby below its value.  I simply told him that it was no business of mine, and quietly asked him where he had got the gem.

“But I needna ask you that,” I added, “for I well ken where you got it.”

“Where did I get it?” he inquired, his face turning as red as the ruby itself.

“You got it from the old viking’s helmet,” I replied, “for I saw you put the thing in your pocket, though you did deny that you had it that day over at Skaill.  But ye’ll see what Mr. Drever will say to your selling what didna rightly belong to you.”

“I carena that for Mr. Drever,” he said, snapping his fingers.  “Nor for you neither, ye young sneak.”

At this he turned from me without further words.  But I think there was more malice against me in his heart than he allowed to appear on the surface.  This incident, and my advantage over him, had at least the effect of increasing the enmity between us.

Chapter XX.  The Opposition Boat.