then the ambassador consented to examine the necklace in detail. m. bœhmer showed each individual beauty.

“on the whole,” said beausire, interpreting for manoël, “his excellency sees nothing to complain of in the necklace, but there are ten of the diamonds rather spotted.”

“oh!” said bœhmer.

“his excellency,” interrupted beausire, “understands diamonds perfectly. the portuguese nobility play with the diamonds of brazil, as children do here with glass beads.”

“whatever it may be, however,” said bœhmer, “this necklace is the finest collection of diamonds in all europe.”

“that is true,” said manoël.

then beausire went on: “well, m. bœhmer, her majesty the queen of portugal has heard of this necklace, and has given m. de souza a commission to buy it, if he approved of the diamonds, which he does. now, what is the price?”

“1,600,000 francs.”

beausire repeated this to the ambassador.

“it is 100,000 francs too much,” replied manoël.

“monseigneur,” replied the jeweler, “one cannot fix the exact price of the diamonds on a thing like this. it has been necessary, in making this collection, to undertake voyages, and make searches and inquiries which no one would believe but myself.”

“100,000 francs too dear,” repeated manoël.

“and if his excellency says this,” said beausire, “it must be his firm conviction, for he never bargains.”

bœhmer was shaken. nothing reassures a suspicious merchant so much as a customer who beats down the price. however, he said, after a minute’s thought, “i cannot consent to a deduction which will make all the difference of loss or profit to myself and my partner.”

don manoël, after hearing this translated, rose, and beausire returned the case to the jeweler.

“i will, however, speak to m. bossange about it,” contained bœhmer. “i am to understand that his excellency offers 1,500,000 francs for the necklace.”

“yes, he never draws back from what he has said.”

“but, monsieur, you understand that i must consult with my partner.”

“certainly, m. bœhmer.”

“certainly,” repeated don manoël, after hearing this translated; “but i must have a speedy answer.”

“well, monseigneur, if my partner will accept the price, i will.”

“good.”

“it then only remains, excepting the consent of m. bossange, to settle the mode of payment.”

“there will be no difficulty about that,” said beausire. “how do you wish to be paid?”

“oh,” said bœhmer, laughing, “if ready money be possible——”

“what do you call ready money?” said beausire coldly.

“oh, i know no one has a million and a half of francs ready to pay down,” said bœhmer, sighing.

“certainly not.”

“still, i cannot consent to dispense with some ready money.”

“that is but reasonable.” then, turning to manoël: “how much will your excellency pay down to m. bœhmer?”

“100,000 francs.” beausire repeated this.

“and when the remainder?” asked bœhmer.

“when we shall have had time to send to lisbon.”

“oh!” said bœhmer, “we have a correspondent there, and by writing to him——”

“yes,” said beausire, laughing ironically, “write to him, and ask if m. de souza is solvent, and if her majesty be good for 1,400,000 francs.”

“we cannot, sir, let this necklace leave france forever without informing the queen; and our respect and loyalty demand that we should once more give her the refusal of it.”

“it is just,” said manoël, with dignity. “i should wish a portuguese merchant to act in the same way.”

“i am very happy that monseigneur approves of my conduct. then all is settled, subject only to the consent of m. bossange, and the reiterated refusal of her majesty. i ask three days to settle these two points.”

“on one side,” said beausire, “100,000 francs down, the necklace to be placed in my hands, who will accompany you to lisbon, to the honor of your correspondents, who are also our bankers. the whole of the money to be paid in three months.”

“yes, monseigneur,” said bœhmer, bowing.

manoël returned it, and the jeweler took leave.

when they were alone, manoël said angrily to beausire, “please to explain what the devil you mean by this journey to portugal? are you mad? why not have the jewels here in exchange for our money?”

“you think yourself too really ambassador,” replied beausire; “you are not yet quite m. de souza to this jeweler.”

“if he had not thought so he would not have treated.”

“agreed; but every man in possession of 1,500,000 francs holds himself above all the ambassadors in the world; and every one who gives that value in exchange for pieces of paper wishes first to know what the papers are worth.”

“then you mean to go to portugal—you, who cannot speak portuguese properly? i tell you, you are mad.”

“not at all; you shall go yourself, if you like.”

“thank you,” said don manoël. “there are reasons why i would rather not return to portugal.”

“well, i tell you, m. bœhmer would never give up the diamonds for mere papers.”

“papers signed souza?”

“i said you thought yourself a real souza.”

“better say at once that we have failed,” said manoël.

“not at all. come here, captain,” said beausire to the valet; “you know what we are talking of?”

“yes.”

“you have listened to everything?”

“certainly.”

“very well; do you think i have committed a folly?”

“i think you perfectly right.”

“explain why.”

“m. bœhmer would, on the other plan, have been incessantly watching us, and all connected with us. now, with the money and the diamonds both in his hands, he can have no suspicion, but will set out quietly for portugal, which, however, he will never reach. is it not so, m. beausire?”

“ah, you are a lad of discernment!”

“explain your plan,” said manoël.

“about fifty leagues from here,” said beausire, “this clever fellow here will come and present two pistols at the heads of our postilions, will steal from us all we have, including the diamonds, and will leave m. bœhmer half dead with blows.”

“oh, i did not understand exactly that,” said the valet. “i thought you would embark for portugal.”

“and then——”

“m. bœhmer, like all germans, will like the sea, and walk on the deck. one day he may slip and fall over, and the necklace will be supposed to have perished with him.”

“oh, i understand,” said manoël.

“that is lucky at last.”

“only,” replied manoël, “for stealing diamonds one is simply sent to the bastile, but for murder one is hanged.”

“but for stealing diamonds one may be taken; for a little push to m. bœhmer we should never even be suspected.”

“well, we will settle all this afterwards,” said beausire.

“at present let us conduct our business in style, so that they may say, ‘if he was not really ambassador, at least he seemed like one.’”