“And the stone which is recognized by the man who sold it—­an expert in gems—­as being that which was taken from the hanging, and unique of its kind, is supposed, by some miracle of nature, to have suddenly appeared in duplicate?—­Malignant spirits still wander through the world, but would hardly dare to play their tricks in this Christian house.  You all know what ‘old women’s tales’ are; and the tale that old woman has told us is one of the most improbable of its class.  ’Tell that to Apelles the Jew,’ said Horace the Roman; but his fellow-Israelite, Gamaliel’—­and he turned to the jeweller who was sitting with the other witnesses will certainly not believe it; still less I, who see through this tissue of falsehood.  The daughter of the noble Thomas has condescended to weave it with the help of that woman—­a skilled weaver, she—­to spread it before us in order to mislead us, and so to save her faithful servant from imprisonment, from the mines, or from death.  These are the facts.—­Do I err, woman, or do you still adhere to your statement?”

The nurse, who had hoped to find in Orion her mistress’ advocate, had listened to his speech with growing horror.  Her eyes flashed as she looked at him, first with mockery and then with vehement disgust; but, though they filled with tears at this unlooked-for attack, she preserved her presence of mind, and declared she had spoken the truth, and nothing but the truth, as she always did.  The setting of her mistress’ emerald would prove her statement.

Orion shrugged his shoulders, desired the woman to fetch her mistress, whose presence was now indispensable, and called to the treasurer: 

“Go with her, Nilus!  And let a servant bring the trunk here that the owner may open it in the presence of us all and before any one else touches the contents.  I should not be the right person to undertake it since no one in this Jacobite household—­hardly even one of yourselves—­has found favor in the eyes of the Melchite.  She has unfortunately a special aversion for me, so I must depute to others every proceeding that could lead to a misunderstanding.—­Conduct her hither, Nilus; of course with the respect due to a maiden of high rank.”

While the envoy was gone Orion paced the room with swift, restless steps, Once only he paused and addressed the judges: 

“But supposing the empty setting should be found, how do you account for the existence of two—­two gems, each unique of its kind?  It is distracting.  Here is a soft-hearted girl daring to mislead a serious council of justice for the sake, for the sake of. . . .” he stamped his foot with rage and continued his silent march.

“He is as yet but a beginner,” thought the assembled officials as they watched his agitation.  “Otherwise how could he allow such an absurd attempt to clear an accused thief to affect him so deeply, or disturb his temper?”