New arabian nights, p.7
New Arabian Nights, page 7
THE ADVENTURE OF PRINCE FLORIZEL AND A DETECTIVE
PRINCE FLORIZEL walked with Mr. Rolles to the door of a small hotel wherethe latter resided. They spoke much together, and the clergyman was morethan once affected to tears by the mingled severity and tenderness ofFlorizel’s reproaches.
“I have made ruin of my life,” he said at last. “Help me; tell me what Iam to do; I have, alas! neither the virtues of a priest nor the dexterityof a rogue.”
“Now that you are humbled,” said the Prince, “I command no longer; therepentant have to do with God and not with princes. But if you will letme advise you, go to Australia as a colonist, seek menial labour in theopen air, and try to forget that you have ever been a clergyman, or thatyou ever set eyes on that accursed stone.”
“Accurst indeed!” replied Mr. Rolles. “Where is it now? What furtherhurt is it not working for mankind?”
“It will do no more evil,” returned the Prince. “It is here in mypocket. And this,” he added kindly, “will show that I place some faithin your penitence, young as it is.”
“Suffer me to touch your hand,” pleaded Mr. Rolles.
“No,” replied Prince Florizel, “not yet.”
The tone in which he uttered these last words was eloquent in the ears ofthe young clergyman; and for some minutes after the Prince had turnedaway he stood on the threshold following with his eyes the retreatingfigure and invoking the blessing of heaven upon a man so excellent incounsel.
For several hours the Prince walked alone in unfrequented streets. Hismind was full of concern; what to do with the diamond, whether to returnit to its owner, whom he judged unworthy of this rare possession, or totake some sweeping and courageous measure and put it out of the reach ofall mankind at once and for ever, was a problem too grave to be decidedin a moment. The manner in which it had come into his hands appearedmanifestly providential; and as he took out the jewel and looked at itunder the street lamps, its size and surprising brilliancy inclined himmore and more to think of it as of an unmixed and dangerous evil for theworld.
“God help me!” he thought; “if I look at it much oftener, I shall beginto grow covetous myself.”
At last, though still uncertain in his mind, he turned his steps towardsthe small but elegant mansion on the river-side which had belonged forcenturies to his royal family. The arms of Bohemia are deeply gravedover the door and upon the tall chimneys; passengers have a look into agreen court set with the most costly flowers, and a stork, the only onein Paris, perches on the gable all day long and keeps a crowd before thehouse. Grave servants are seen passing to and fro within; and from timeto time the great gate is thrown open and a carriage rolls below thearch. For many reasons this residence was especially dear to the heartof Prince Florizel; he never drew near to it without enjoying thatsentiment of home-coming so rare in the lives of the great; and on thepresent evening he beheld its tall roof and mildly illuminated windowswith unfeigned relief and satisfaction.
As he was approaching the postern door by which he always entered whenalone, a man stepped forth from the shadow and presented himself with anobeisance in the Prince’s path.
“I have the honour of addressing Prince Florizel of Bohemia?” said he.
“Such is my title,” replied the Prince. “What do you want with me?”
“I am,” said the man, “a detective, and I have to present your Highnesswith this billet from the Prefect of Police.”
The Prince took the letter and glanced it through by the light of thestreet lamp. It was highly apologetic, but requested him to follow thebearer to the Prefecture without delay.
“In short,” said Florizel, “I am arrested.”
“Your Highness,” replied the officer, “nothing, I am certain, could befurther from the intention of the Prefect. You will observe that he hasnot granted a warrant. It is mere formality, or call it, if you prefer,an obligation that your Highness lays on the authorities.”
“At the same time,” asked the Prince, “if I were to refuse to followyou?”
“I will not conceal from your Highness that a considerable discretion hasbeen granted me,” replied the detective with a bow.
“Upon my word,” cried Florizel, “your effrontery astounds me! Yourself,as an agent, I must pardon; but your superiors shall dearly smart fortheir misconduct. What, have you any idea, is the cause of thisimpolitic and unconstitutional act? You will observe that I have as yetneither refused nor consented, and much may depend on your prompt andingenuous answer. Let me remind you, officer, that this is an affair ofsome gravity.”
“Your Highness,” said the detective humbly, “General Vandeleur and hisbrother have had the incredible presumption to accuse you of theft. Thefamous diamond, they declare, is in your hands. A word from you indenial will most amply satisfy the Prefect; nay, I go farther: if yourHighness would so far honour a subaltern as to declare his ignorance ofthe matter even to myself, I should ask permission to retire upon thespot.”
Florizel, up to the last moment, had regarded his adventure in the lightof a trifle, only serious upon international considerations. At the nameof Vandeleur the horrible truth broke upon him in a moment; he was notonly arrested, but he was guilty. This was not only an annoyingincident—it was a peril to his honour. What was he to say? What was heto do? The Rajah’s Diamond was indeed an accursed stone; and it seemedas if he were to be the last victim to its influence.
One thing was certain. He could not give the required assurance to thedetective. He must gain time.
His hesitation had not lasted a second.
“Be it so,” said he, “let us walk together to the Prefecture.”
The man once more bowed, and proceeded to follow Florizel at a respectfuldistance in the rear.
“Approach,” said the Prince. “I am in a humour to talk, and, if Imistake not, now I look at you again, this is not the first time that wehave met.”
“I count it an honour,” replied the officer, “that your Highness shouldrecollect my face. It is eight years since I had the pleasure of aninterview.”
“To remember faces,” returned Florizel, “is as much a part of myprofession as it is of yours. Indeed, rightly looked upon, a Prince anda detective serve in the same corps. We are both combatants againstcrime; only mine is the more lucrative and yours the more dangerous rank,and there is a sense in which both may be made equally honourable to agood man. I had rather, strange as you may think it, be a detective ofcharacter and parts than a weak and ignoble sovereign.”
The officer was overwhelmed.
“Your Highness returns good for evil,” said he. “To an act ofpresumption he replies by the most amiable condescension.”
“How do you know,” replied Florizel, “that I am not seeking to corruptyou?”
“Heaven preserve me from the temptation!” cried the detective.
“I applaud your answer,” returned the Prince. “It is that of a wise andhonest man. The world is a great place and stocked with wealth andbeauty, and there is no limit to the rewards that may be offered. Suchan one who would refuse a million of money may sell his honour for anempire or the love of a woman; and I myself, who speak to you, have seenoccasions so tempting, provocations so irresistible to the strength ofhuman virtue, that I have been glad to tread in your steps and recommendmyself to the grace of God. It is thus, thanks to that modest andbecoming habit alone,” he added, “that you and I can walk this towntogether with untarnished hearts.”
“I had always heard that you were brave,” replied the officer, “but I wasnot aware that you were wise and pious. You speak the truth, and youspeak it with an accent that moves me to the heart. This world is indeeda place of trial.”
“We are now,” said Florizel, “in the middle of the bridge. Lean yourelbows on the parapet and look over. As the water rushing below, so thepassions and complications of life carry away the honesty of weak men.Let me tell you a story.”
“I receive your Highness’s commands,” replied the man.
And, imitating the Prince, he leaned against the parapet, and disposedhimself to listen. The city was already sunk in slumber; had it not beenfor the infinity of lights and the outline of buildings on the starrysky, they might have been alone beside some country river.
“An officer,” began Prince Florizel, “a man of courage and conduct, whohad already risen by merit to an eminent rank, and won not onlyadmiration but respect, visited, in an unfortunate hour for his peace ofmind, the collections of an Indian Prince. Here he beheld a diamond soextraordinary for size and beauty that from that instant he had only onedesire in life: honour, reputation, friendship, the love of country, hewas ready to sacrifice all for this lump of sparkling crystal. For threeyears he served this semi-barbarian potentate as Jacob served Laban; hefalsified frontiers, he connived at murders, he unjustly condemned andexecuted a brother-officer who had the misfortune to displease the Rajahby some honest freedoms; lastly, at a time of great danger to his nativeland, he betrayed a body of his fellow-soldiers, and suffered them to bedefeated and massacred by thousands. In the end, he had amassed amagnificent fortune, and brought home with him the coveted diamond.
“Years passed,” continued the Prince, “and at length the diamond isaccidentally lost. It falls into the hands of a simple and laboriousyouth, a student, a minister of God, just entering on a career ofusefulness and even distinction. Upon him also the spell is cast; hedeserts everything, his holy calling, his studies, and flees with the geminto a foreign country. The officer has a brother, an astute, daring,unscrupulous man, who learns the clergyman’s secret. What does he do?Tell his brother, inform the police? No; upon this man also the Sataniccharm has fallen; he must have the stone for himself. At the risk ofmurder, he drugs the young priest and seizes the prey. And now, by anaccident which is not important to my moral, the jewel passes out of hiscustody into that of another, who, terrified at what he sees, gives itinto the keeping of a man in high station and above reproach.
“The officer’s name is Thomas Vandeleur,” continued Florizel. “The stoneis called the Rajah’s Diamond. And”—suddenly opening his hand—“youbehold it here before your eyes.”
The officer started back with a cry.
“We have spoken of corruption,” said the Prince. “To me this nugget ofbright crystal is as loathsome as though it were crawling with the wormsof death; it is as shocking as though it were compacted out of innocentblood. I see it here in my hand, and I know it is shining withhell-fire. I have told you but a hundredth part of its story; whatpassed in former ages, to what crimes and treacheries it incited men ofyore, the imagination trembles to conceive; for years and years it hasfaithfully served the powers of hell; enough, I say, of blood, enough ofdisgrace, enough of broken lives and friendships; all things come to anend, the evil like the good; pestilence as well as beautiful music; andas for this diamond, God forgive me if I do wrong, but its empire endsto-night.”
The Prince made a sudden movement with his hand, and the jewel,describing an arc of light, dived with a splash into the flowing river.
“Amen,” said Florizel with gravity. “I have slain a cockatrice!”
“God pardon me!” cried the detective. “What have you done? I am aruined man.”
“I think,” returned the Prince with a smile, “that many well-to-do peoplein this city might envy you your ruin.”
“Alas! your Highness!” said the officer, “and you corrupt me after all?”
“It seems there was no help for it,” replied Florizel. “And now let usgo forward to the Prefecture.”
* * * * *
Not long after, the marriage of Francis Scrymgeour and Miss Vandeleur wascelebrated in great privacy; and the Prince acted on that occasion asgroomsman. The two Vandeleurs surprised some rumour of what had happenedto the diamond; and their vast diving operations on the River Seine arethe wonder and amusement of the idle. It is true that through somemiscalculation they have chosen the wrong branch of the river. As forthe Prince, that sublime person, having now served his turn, may go,along with the _Arabian Author_, topsy-turvy into space. But if thereader insists on more specific information, I am happy to say that arecent revolution hurled him from the throne of Bohemia, in consequenceof his continued absence and edifying neglect of public business; andthat his Highness now keeps a cigar store in Rupert Street, muchfrequented by other foreign refugees. I go there from time to time tosmoke and have a chat, and find him as great a creature as in the days ofhis prosperity; he has an Olympian air behind the counter; and although asedentary life is beginning to tell upon his waistcoat, he is probably,take him for all in all, the handsomest tobacconist in London.
