ndred pounds!" he exclaimed, looking from me to the Jew.
"Two hundred pounds! What d'ye mean?"

"I mean," I said calmly, "that you have been swindled. It's a ruby
stone ye hae sold him, a ruby worth two hundred pounds."

I will not soon forget the expression that came into Tom's eyes
when he heard this. It was a look first of incredulity, as though
he supposed I was simply playing upon him. Then it changed to a
look of defeat as he realized how much he had been cheated by the
crafty old Jew. He turned round to vent his indignation upon Isaac,
swearing and uttering threats of vengeance.

"Ye auld long-nosed deevil!" he exclaimed. "Ye heathen swindler!
Gie me back the stone!"

But Isaac had already slipped away from the spot like a startled
trout. We saw his long coattails disappear round the corner of an
alley that led down to the harbour. Kinlay followed him, still
swearing and threatening, and got down to the quay just in time to
see the old Jew jump into a boat that had been waiting for him. The
boat belonged to a Dutch brig that was putting out to sea, and when
old Isaac got aboard, the anchor was already at the cat head and
the sails were bellying in the wind.

Frustrated in his revenge upon the Jew, Kinlay now turned upon me
his indignation. He accused me of willingly allowing him to sell
the ruby below its value. I simply told him that it was no business
of mine, and quietly asked him where he had got the gem.

"But I needna ask you that," I added, "for I well ken where you got
it."

"Where did I get it?" he inquired, his face turning as red as the
ruby itself.

"You got it from the old viking's helmet," I replied, "for I saw
you put the thing in your pocket, though you did deny that you had
it that day over at Skaill. But ye'll see what Mr. Drever will say
to your selling what didna rightly belong to you."

"I carena that for Mr. Drever," he said, snapping his fingers. "Nor
for you neither, ye young sneak."

At this he turned from me without further words. But I think there
was more malice against me in his heart than he allowed to appear
on the surface. This incident, and my advantage over him, had at
least the effect of increasing the enmity between us.

Chapter XX. The Opposition Boat.

The little haven of Stromness was ever a quiet place, but never did
it seem so quiet as during the calm which succeeded the storm of
the past week, especially as that calm came on a Sunday, that
quietest