she clapped her hands, and an attendant
immediately entered, disclosing the person of the same negress who had
first introduced Jonathan into the strange adventure in which he now
found himself involved. This creature, who appeared still more
deformed and repulsive in the brilliantly lighted room than she had in
the moonlight, carried in her hands a white napkin, which she handed to
her mistress. This being opened, disclosed a small ivory ball of about
the bigness of a lime. Nodding to the negress to withdraw, the lady
handed him the ivory ball, and Jonathan took it with no small degree of
curiosity and examined it carefully. It appeared to be of an exceeding
antiquity, and of so deep a yellow as to be almost brown in color. It
was covered over with strange figures and characters of an Oriental
sort, which appeared to our hero to be of Chinese workmanship.

"I must tell you, sir," said the lady, after she had permitted her
guest to examine this for a while in silence, "that though this appears
to you to be of little worth, it is yet of extreme value. After all,
however, it is nothing but a curiosity that any one who is interested
in such matters might possess. What I have to ask you is this: Will
you be willing to take this into your charge, to guard it with the
utmost care and fidelity--yes, even as the apple of your eye--during
your continuance in these parts, and to return it to me in safety the
day before your departure. By so doing you will render me a service
which you may neither understand nor comprehend, but which shall make
me your debtor for my entire life."

By this time Jonathan had pretty well composed his mind for a reply.

"Friend," said he, "such a matter as this is entirely out of my
knowledge of business, which is, indeed, that of a clerk in the
mercantile profession. Nevertheless, I have every inclination to help
thee, though I trust thou mayest have magnified the dangers that beset
thee. This appears to me to be a little trifle for such an ado;
nevertheless, I will do as thou dost request. I will keep it in safety
and will return it to thee upon this day a week hence, by which time I
hope to have discharged my cargo and be ready to continue my voyage to
Demerara."

At these words the lady, who had been watching him all the time with a
most unaccountable eagerness, burst forth into words of such heart-felt
gratitude as to entirely overwhelm our hero. When her transports had
been somewh