The second packet is for your grandfather, enclosing the letter from you in which you state yourself to be his heir, and begging for a confirmation of the fact.

The last parcel, for his Highness the Hereditary Duke,' added I, looking most sternly, 'contains the Gustavus Adolphus emerald, which he gave to his princess, and which you pledged to me as a family jewel of your own.

Your influence with her Highness must be great indeed,' I concluded, 'when you could extort from her such a jewel as that, and when you could make her, in order to pay your play-debts, give up a secret upon which both your heads depend.' 'Villain!' said the Frenchman, quite aghast with fury and terror, 'would you implicate the Princess ?' 'Monsieur de Magny,' I answered, with a sneer, 'no: I will say YOU STOLE the jewel.' It was my belief he did, and that the unhappy and infatuated Princess was never privy to the theft until long after it had been committed.

How we came to know the history of the emerald is simple enough.

As we wanted money (for my occupation with Magny caused our bank to be much neglected), my uncle had carried Magny's trinkets to Mannheim to pawn.