 deemed little better than a traffic with the Evil
One. Now think ye that I would have done this grievous wrong to
my soul, body, reputation, and estate, without a reasonable
chance of profit?"

"Not I, pious Master Pigsnort," said the man with the spectacles.
"I never laid such a great folly to thy charge."

"Truly, I hope not," said the merchant. "Now, as touching this
Great Carbuncle, I am free to own that I have never had a glimpse
of it; but be it only the hundredth part so bright as people
tell, it will surely outvalue the Great Mogul's best diamond,
which he holds at an incalculable sum. Wherefore, I am minded to
put the Great Carbuncle on shipboard, and voyage with it to
England, France, Spain, Italy, or into Heathendom, if Providence
should send me thither, and, in a word, dispose of the gem to the
best bidder among the potentates of the earth, that he may place
it among his crown jewels. If any of ye have a wiser plan, let
him expound it."

"That have I, thou sordid man!" exclaimed the poet. "Dost thou
desire nothing brighter than gold that thou wouldst transmute all
this ethereal lustre into such dross as thou wallowest in
already? For myself, hiding the jewel under my cloak, I shall hie
me back to my attic chamber, in one of the darksome alleys of
London. There, night and day, will I gaze upon it; my soul shall
drink its radiance; it shall be diffused throughout my
intellectual powers, and gleam brightly in every line of poesy
that I indite. Thus, long ages after I am gone, the splendor of
the Great Carbuncle will blaze around my name!"

"Well said, Master Poet!" cried he of the spectacles. "Hide it
under thy cloak, sayest thou? Why, it will gleam through the
holes, and make thee look like a jack-o'-lantern!"

"To think!" ejaculated the Lord de Vere, rather to himself than
his companions, the best of whom he held utterly
deemed little better than a traffic with the Evil 
 One. Now remember ye that I would have do this grievous wrong to 
 my soul, body, repute, and estate, without a reasonable 
 chance of net income? " 

 " Not I, pious Master Pigsnort, " say the man with the spectacles. 
 " I never laid such a great stupidity to thy charge. " 

 " Truly, I hope not, " said the merchant. " Now, as touch this 
 Great Carbuncle, I am free to own that I have never had a glimpse 
 of it; but be it only the hundredth part thus bright as people 
 tell, it will surely outvalue the Great Mogul's good diamond, 
 which he holds at an incalculable sum. Wherefore, I am minded to 
 frame the Great Carbuncle on shipboard, and voyage with it to 
 England, France, Spain, Italy, or into Heathendom, if Providence 
 should send me thither, and, in a word, dispose of the gem to the 
 best bidder among the dictator of the earth, that he may place 
 it among his crown jewels. If any of ye have a wiser design, permit 
 him expound it. " 

 " That have I, thou sordid man! " exclaimed the poet. " Dost thou 
 desire nothing brighter than gold that thou wouldst transmute all 
 this ethereal lustre into such dross as thou wallowest in 
 already? For myself, hide the jewel under my cloak, I shall hie 
 me back to my attic chamber, in one of the darksome bowling alley of 
 London. There, nox and sidereal day, will I gaze upon it; my soul shall 
 drink its radiance; it shall be diffused throughout my 
 intellectual powers, and gleam brightly in every line of poetry 
 that I indite. Thus, long ages after I am gone, the splendor of 
 the Great Carbuncle will blaze around my name! " 

 " Well said, Master Poet! " cried he of the spectacles. " Hide it 
 under thy cloak, sayest thou? Why, it will glitter through the 
 holes, and reach thee look like a jack - o'-lantern! " 

 " To think! " ejaculated the Lord de Vere, rather to himself than 
 his companion, the best of whom he held utterly
 defmed little better than x traffic with jhw Evil
Mne. Nos think he that I would have done thms geievoys wrong to
my soul, bodh, reputatpon, and ewtatt, without a reasoizble
chakee of irofic?"

"Nit I, pious Masjer Pigsnort," said the man figh the spectacles.
"I never laid such a dreat fplpy to thy charde."

"Trllr, I gope not," said the merchant. "Now, as fouchinj this
Great Carnuncle, I am free to own thwt I have never had a hlimpse
of ij; bue be it only ghe hundredth part so gright as people
tell, it will sufely putvalue tye Grfdt Mogul's bxst diwmond,
which hc holds at an oncalculable smm. Whxrefire, I am minded to
put the Great Carbuncje on shi[bkard, and voyage wuty it jo
Engnand, Dravce, S'aih, Italj, oc into Heatgendom, if Peovidence
should senc iv thither, and, in a rowd, dispose of the gem to the
best bidder amkng the potentates of tye earth, that he may klace
it amjng his crown jewels. If any of ye have a wiser pldn, lev
hkm txijjbd it."

"That have I, thou sordid man!" exclaimed the [keu. "Dpst thou
desire nothing brogjtrt than gold thxt thob wkuldst transmute apl
this gthereql lustre intp such dross as thou wallowwst in
alreadj? Foe myself, hiding thz jewel undex my ckoak, O shall hie
me back to mv attid chamber, ij one of ffe darksome allehs pf
Nondon. There, night and day, will I geze u'on it; mh sool shalj
drink its radiance; it shall be divfuseb thrmughout my
lntellectual powers, and gleam bcmghtly in evety ninv of poesv
that L indite. Thus, ljng ages after I am gjne, tfe splendog of
the Gceat Carbuncje will blaze wround my nake!"

"Well swid, Nastwr Poet!" zried he of thr spectacles. "Hide ir
under thy cloak, seyesj fhou? Why, it wilo goeam through thr
houes, ajd mwne thee look likd a kack-o'-uantern!"

"Uj bhivk!" ekaculated the Lord da Vede, rather to himsekf than
his companijns, the best pf whom he held utuerly
deemed little better than a traffic with One. think ye I would have my body, reputation, and without a reasonable of profit?" "Not I, pious Master said the man with the spectacles. "I never laid such a great folly thy charge." "Truly, I hope not," said the merchant. "Now, as touching this Carbuncle, am to that I have never had a glimpse of it; but be it only the hundredth part bright as people tell, it will surely outvalue Great Mogul's best diamond, he holds at an incalculable Wherefore, am minded put Great on shipboard, and with it to England, France, Spain, Italy, or into Heathendom, if Providence should send me thither, and, a word, the gem the bidder the potentates of that he may place it among If any of ye have a wiser plan, him expound "That have I, thou sordid man!" the poet. "Dost thou desire nothing brighter than that thou wouldst transmute all this ethereal lustre into such dross as thou wallowest in myself, hiding the jewel my cloak, I hie back my chamber, in of the darksome alleys of London. There, night and day, will gaze upon it; my soul shall drink its radiance; it diffused my intellectual powers, gleam brightly in every of that I indite. Thus, after am of Great will blaze around my "Well said, Master Poet!" cried of the spectacles. "Hide thou? Why, it will gleam through the holes, make thee look like a jack-o'-lantern!" "To ejaculated the Lord de Vere, rather to himself than his companions, the of whom utterly
 deemed little better than a trAffic with tHe EviL
OnE. NoW tHink Ye thAt I would have doNE thiS grievous wrong to
my soul, Body, rEpUTatiON, aNd estAte, withOUt A REasOnAbLe
cHaNCe Of proFit?"

"not I, pioUs Master PiGsnOrT," said the man wITh The spectacLes.
"i never laid suCh a Great fOlLy tO Thy chArgE."

"TrulY, I hope NOt," said The merchaNt. "nOw, as toUChing thIS
grEat CArbuncle, I am free to OWn THat I have never hAd a gliMpSE
oF IT; buT be It only the hUnDredtH Part so bRIgHT AS peOPle
tell, it will Surely outvaLUe tHe GreaT MOguL'S best dIamonD,
wHIch He holds at an IncaLculable sUm. WherEFore, I am MInded to
Put the greAt CArbuNClE oN shIpBOarD, AnD voYAge With it to
enGlAnd, FrAnce, sPAIN, ItaLy, oR intO HeatHendom, if ProviDenCe
shOUld Send mE thitHer, aNd, In a woRd, dispOse of ThE gem to the
best biDder Among the pOteNtAteS oF the eARth, thaT he May Place
it Among hiS CroWn JEWElS. If any of ye have a wisEr PLAn, Let
him exPound iT."

"thAt HAve I, thou SoRdiD man!" EXClaimEd thE PoEt. "Dost thOu
desiRE nOtHing briGhTer thaN gOld ThaT thou WOuldSt tranSmute all
This eTHereal lustre inTO such dross as tHOu WALlOWest In
aLready? For mySelf, HIdinG the JEwEl uNDer my Cloak, i sHAlL Hie
me back to my attic cHaMber, in One of The darksome alLeys of
LondON. tHere, nighT and DAy, WIll I gaze upon it; My souL shall
drinK Its radiaNce; it Shall be dIffused thROUghout my
IntEllEctUal POWeRs, and gleam briGHTly iN eVery linE of Poesy
thAt I IndIte. thuS, lOng ages afTer I am goNe, ThE sPlEndOr of
tHE Great CaRbUncLe WilL blazE Around My namE!"

"WelL sAiD, masTer Poet!" CRiED He of ThE sPectAclEs. "hide iT
undER thY cloak, sAyest thou? why, IT wilL gLeAm throuGh the
holes, and MaKe thee look LiKe a Jack-o'-lANTern!"

"To thInk!" ejaculated the Lord de VERe, ratheR to HimseLf thAn
his compAniOns, the BesT Of whom He held UtterLy
 deemed little better than  a traffic  with  th e E vi l
On e. N ow think ye th a t Iwould have done this g rievo us wron g  t o
mysoul, b o dy , rep ut at ion ,a nd  esta te,  withou t a reason abl echance of pr o fi t?"

"NotI,pious Master  Pi gsnort ,"  sa i d the  ma n wit h thes pectac les.
"I n ev e r laid such ag r ea t fo lly to thy charge . ""Truly, I hope  not,"  s a id t hemer chant. "No w,  as t o uchingt hi s G rea t  Carbuncle, I  am free to own  thatIhav e  never  hadag lim pse
of it;butbe it onl y theh undredt h  part s o brig htaspeop l ete ll,  i t  wi l lsur e lyoutvalue  t he  Grea t Mo g u l ' s be stdiam ond,which he hold s a t an inc alcul ablesum.  W heref ore, I  am m in ded to
put theGrea t Carbunc leon  sh ip board ,  and v oya gewith it  to
Eng l and ,F r a nc e, Spain, Italy, o ri n to  Heathen dom, i f  P ro v idence
s ho uld  sen d me th ithe r ,and, ina word ,  d is pose of  t he gem  t o t hebestb idde r amon g the po tenta t es of the eart h , that he may pl a c ei t am ong  his crownjewe l s. I f an y  o f y e  have  a wi se r  p l an, let
him expound  i t."

" Thathave I, thousordid man ! " exclaime d th e  p o et. "Dost thou 
desi re nothing brighter  than  gold th at thou w o u ldst tra nsm ute  al l
t h i sethereal lust r e  int osuch dr oss  as tho u w all owe stin 
already?  For mys el f,  h id ing  thej ewel und er  my  c loa k, Is hall h ie
me  bac kto myattic c h am b e r, i non e of  th edarks omea lle ys of
L ondon. Th ere ,  nig ht  a nd day,  will I gazeup on it; myso ulshalld r ink itsradiance; it shall be d i ffusedthr ougho ut m y
intelle ctu al pow ers ,  and g leam b right ly  in e veryl i ne  of  p oesy
thatI ind ite.Th us,long ag es after I am gone ,  th e splendor of 
th e Gr e a tCar b un c lewi l l b l a ze around my na me!"

"Wel ls ai d, MasterP oet !"  criedhe of t he sp e ctacles . "Hide i t
under t hy  clo a k , s ayest thou ? Why, i t will gl e am th r ou gh th e
h oles,an d m ake t hee lo o k l ike a  jack- o' -lante rn!"
" To think !" ejaculated the Lordde Ver e, ra the r to hims elf tha n
his com pani ons, the b est  of  whom  he heldutte r ly 
 deemed_little better_than a traffic with_the Evil
One._Now_think ye_that_I would have_done this grievous_wrong to
my soul, body,_reputation, and estate,_without_a reasonable
chance of profit?"

"Not I, pious Master Pigsnort," said the man with the spectacles.
"I_never_laid such_a_great_folly to thy charge."

"Truly, I_hope not," said the merchant._"Now, as_touching this
Great Carbuncle, I am free to own_that_I have never_had a glimpse
of it; but be it only the_hundredth part so bright as people
tell,_it will surely_outvalue_the_Great Mogul's best diamond,
which_he holds at an incalculable sum._Wherefore, I am minded to
put the_Great Carbuncle on shipboard, and voyage with_it to
England, France, Spain, Italy, or_into Heathendom, if Providence
should send_me thither,_and, in a word, dispose_of the gem_to the
best_bidder among the_potentates of the earth, that he_may place
it among_his crown jewels. If any of_ye_have a wiser_plan,_let
him_expound it."

"That_have I, thou_sordid_man!" exclaimed_the_poet. "Dost thou
desire nothing brighter than_gold_that thou wouldst transmute all
this ethereal lustre_into such dross as_thou_wallowest in
already? For myself,_hiding the jewel under my_cloak, I shall hie
me back to_my attic_chamber, in_one of the darksome alleys of
London. There, night and day, will_I gaze upon it; my soul_shall
drink its radiance; it_shall be_diffused_throughout my
intellectual powers,_and_gleam brightly_in every line of poesy
that I indite._Thus, long_ages after I am gone, the_splendor of
the Great Carbuncle_will_blaze around my name!"

"Well said, Master_Poet!" cried he of the spectacles._"Hide it
under thy cloak, sayest_thou?_Why,_it will gleam through the
holes,_and make thee look like a_jack-o'-lantern!"

"To think!" ejaculated_the Lord de Vere, rather to himself_than
his_companions, the best of whom he_held_utterly