The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-03-29
PEARL AND EMERALD,
CHAPTER Y.
THE FEELING OF A FATHER.
(GonryyIe1l

(Concluded)
Arthur, who had not as yet experienced
the feelings of a father, stared at him with
surprise. He certainly did not admire the
ulated himself more than ever upon not
having entered upon a career in which they
were acquired. However, he could only
accept it as a phenomenon of the practical
nature, and fastened on to the 6lanchisserie,
while Mr.. erode set out closely to follow
the old-clot hesman, but in such way that
he himself should not be observed.
He did not return in an hour. On the
contrary, his pursuit of the great Emerald
of kandahar, as represented by its owner,
led him chase as long as it was tiresome.
Fortunately for him, he was good walk
er, and good waiter, too, or he would
have been wearied out, and bored to death
as we'll. He had to make a regular tour,
up and down hundred streets, and round
score of squares, to kick his heels in
front of doors sometimes for half an hour
at stretch, and to watch his game down
areas and up blind alleys. And all the
time he had to enjoy the ceaseless music of
that shrill, harsh voice, as it continued it's
mouotonous cry of "Old clo'!-any old
clo'n'
He had to do all this, too, upon an empty
stomach, for the. game in question kept
creeping on without giving his pursuer a
single available opportunity of obtaining a
mouthful of food. This was almost the
worst part of the business, for Mr.. erode
was very careful of his inner man, and
always had his chop regularly at half-past
one. At last, however, his chase began
to draw to an end. The evening was be-
ginnining to fall, and the grimy shades of
Soho were being regained by both pursuer
and pursued once more. Ere long, the
quarry was driven to bay, or, at all events,
was run to earth, in its den.
But Mr.. erode was not contented with
this. He first took turn or two in front
of the slop- shop, to impress the locality of
it upon his memory, and then went UP
what looked like an arched cut.de-sa that
ran by his side. The ninutest point in
relation to the presumed abode of such a
treasure might turn out to be of import
ance one of these days. The arched pas
sage in question led into the small back
court which has already been mentioned
and so far he seemed to have learned all
that, for the present, was learnable. Faint
and exhausted, he was on the point of
turning homeward, when he saw the CLEAN
of a candle shining through blindless
window and rejecting itself feebly upon
the chips of broken glass and oyster-shell
that formed part of the heap of dust and
offal.
He went up to the window, and saw what
the reader has already seen-he saw shin
ming before him, in as much spendor as it
could borrow from a single wax taper, the
glory of the Great Emerald of kandahar.
For more than an instant he stood as if
he were changed to the spot, not seeing
what Levi saw, but, nevertheless, gloating
over and drinking in what he did see with
greedy eyes. He forgot at once his bodily
hunger and fatigue in the excitement of
being so near, within arms reach, of the
object of the lust of his soul. With only
three miserable panes of glass between
him and the jewel, it is almost wonderful
that he did not yield to the sudden temp
tation that fell upon him in the first mo-
ment of his fascination to dash the window
to pieces with his fist, to spring into the
room, to send the hunchback flying against
the wall, to snatch the Emerald from his
hands, and to run with it to Count Andreas
before its purchaser knew whether he was
upon head or upon his heels. 1t would
have been as easy to strong and active
man like him as the raising of an eyelid.-
He must most infallibly have yielded to it
had not the moon at that moment peeped
out from behind a cloud, and for an instant
thrown his portly shadow through the
window upon the floor of the room.
The effect upon the Jew was something
fearful to behold. His lower jaw dropped
lower upon his breast; his hair literally
bristled up on end, as though an electric
current had passed through it with full
force, and he started up in paroxysm of
terror as he thrust the ruler of his life into
his capacious mouth, prepared to swallow
it, if need were, rather than allow it to be
seen by mortal man. So demonaical was
his aspect that Mr.. erode, though no COW
ard, fairly turned and fled, in sheer panic,
as men fly from danger in dreams.
Nor did he stop until the gaslights of
Oxford street recalled him to himself once
more. Then he dropped into the nearest
restaurant, and drank plenteously of BRAN
dy before he could calm his excited nerves
sufficiently to 60 home, in order to take bis
daughter and his future son-in-law to his
paternal arms.