His eyes, no longer obliquely observant, were directed with baleful
purpose upon the half-closed lids of the fascinated potentate.

"His hand disengaged itself from the sash, where it had reposed with
something of the suggestion of a guardian of the treasury, and was
gradually extended with sinuous menace over the declining head of the
prince.

"His long, lithe figure straightened from its servile stoop, and a
palpable degree of the authority which appeared gradually to fade from
the fine countenance before him found an equally congenial residence in
the expression of the merchant.

"There was command in every feature.

"As for the prince, his figure appeared to decline in majesty in
proportion to the access of dignity which had added its unwonted
emphasis to the personality of Ram Lal.

"He leaned inertly forward, one hand resting upon his knee.

"In his slowly relaxing clutch the brilliant gleamed. His forehead was
moist; his lips dry; his delicate nostrils were indrawn in harmony with
the concentrating lines of his brow, and the next moment, as if in
response to an insinuating pass of the merchant's hand of cobra-like
undulation, the rigid poise recoiled, he settled more easily upon the
divan, and with eyes still fascinated by the entrancing bauble he
listened, with anomalous impassiveness, to the weird proposal of Ram
Lal.

"'Hearken, O prince!

"'My daughter has been taken from me by whom I shall not venture to
inquire.

"'If she is returned to me, I shall be satisfied.

"'I am here therefore to beseech your highness to see that she is
restored to me.

"'To-day, as the sun declines, I shall expect her.

"'If she does not come to me then, O prince, a heaping handful of the
precious stones you hold so dearly will be missing, and in their stead
will be as many pebbles from the fountain in the courtyard.

"'The sapphire I leave with you as a witness of my plea.'

"And slowly the merchant retreated toward the door, his eyes fastened
the while upon the prince.

"As he reached the threshold he paused, and with a voice that seemed to
lodge in the consciousness of his inert auditor like the sigh of Auster
over the daffodils and buttercups of a dream, he repeated:

"'_To-day as the sun declines._'

"And the next instant, with an abrupt motion of his hand strangely at
variance with the placid gestures just preceding, the merchant
disappeared through the curtains which screened the doorway.

"And now,"