"Well, gentlemen," said he, "if you know me, keep my secret from others."

"Monseigneur may rely upon us. What can we do for your eminence?"

"I come to buy the necklace which you showed her majesty."

"Really we are in despair, but it is too late."

"How so?"

"It is sold."

"Impossible, as you offered it only yesterday to the queen."

"Who again refused it, so our other bargain held good."

"And with whom was this bargain?"

"It is secret, monseigneur."

"Too many secrets, M. Boehmer," said he, rising; "but I should have thought that a French jeweler would prefer selling these beautiful stones in France. You prefer Portugal--very well."

"Monseigneur knows that!" cried the jeweler.

"Well, is that astonishing?"

"No one knew it but the queen."

"And if that were so?" said M. de Rohan without contradicting a supposition that flattered him.

"Ah! that would change matters."

"Why so, sir?"

"May I speak freely?"

"Certainly."

"The queen wishes for the necklace."

"You think so?"

"I am sure of it."

"Then why did she not buy it?"

"Because she had already refused the king, and she thought it would look capricious to buy it now."

"But the king wished her to have it."

"Yes, but he thanked her for refusing; therefore I think she wishes to have it without seeming to buy it."

"Well, you are wrong, sir."

"I am sorry for it, monseigneur. It would have been our only excuse for breaking our word to the Portuguese amba.s.sador."

The cardinal reflected for a moment. "Then, sir, let us suppose that the queen wishes for your necklace."

"Oh! in that case, monseigneur, we would break through anything, that she should have it."

"What is the price?"

"1,500,000 francs."

"How do you want payment?"

"The Portuguese was to give 100,000 francs down, and I was to take the necklace myself to Lisbon, where the balance was to be paid."

"Well, the 100,000 francs down you shall have; that is reasonable. As for the rest----"

"Your eminence wishes for time? With such a guarantee, we should not object; only credit implies a loss. The interest of our money must be considered."

"Well, call it 1,600,000 francs, and divide the time of payment into three periods, making a year."

"That would be a loss to us, sir."

"Oh! nonsense; if I paid you the whole amount to-morrow, you would hardly know what to do with it."

"There are two of us, monseigneur."

"Well, you will receive 500,000 francs every four months. That ought to satisfy you."

"Monseigneur forgets that these diamonds do not belong to us; if they did, we should be rich enough to wait; they belong to a dozen different creditors. We got some from Hamburg, some from Naples, one at Buenos Ayres, and one at Moscow. All these people wait for the sale of the necklace to be paid. The profit that we make is all that will be ours; and we have already had it two years on hand."

M. de Rohan interrupted him. "After all," said he, "I have not seen the necklace."

"True, monseigneur; here it is."

"It is really superb," cried the cardinal; "it is a bargain?"

"Yes, monseigneur. I must go to the amba.s.sador and excuse myself."

"I did not think there was a Portuguese amba.s.sador just now."

"M. de Souza arrived incognito."

"To buy this necklace?"

"Yes, monseigneur."