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"Can't I? If I get a chance of easy money like that I should be
all sorts of a fool not to take it."
"But how can it be proved?" she continued. "It's only my word
against Mr. Kelada’s."
"Let me look at the chain, and if it's imitation I'll tell you
quickly enough. I can afford to lose a hundred dollars," said Mr.
Kelada.
"Take it off, dear. Let the gentleman look at it as much as he
wants."
Mrs. Ramsay hesitated a moment. She put her hands to the clasp.
"I can't undo it," she said. "Mr. Kelada will just have to take my
word for— it."
I had a sudden suspicion that something unfortunate was about
to occur, but I could think of nothing to say.
Ramsay jumped up.
"I'll undo it." "
He handed the chain to Mr. Kelada. The Levantine took a
magnifying glass, from his pocket and closely examined it. A smile of
triumph spread over his smooth and swarthy face. He handed back
the chain. He was about to speak. Suddenly he caught sight of Mrs.
Ramsay's face. It was so white that she looked as though she were
about to faint. She was staring at him with wide and terrified eyes.
They held a desperate appeal: it was so clear that I wondered why her
husband did not see it.
Mr. Kelada stopped with his mouth open. He flushed deeply.
You could almost see the effort he was making over himself.
"I was mistaken," he said. "It's a very good imitation, but of
course as soon as I looked through my glass I saw that it wasn't real. I
think eighteen dollars is just about as much as the damned thing's
worth."
He took out his pocketbook and from it a hundred-dollar bill.
He handed it to Ramsay without a word.
"Perhaps that'll teach you not to be so cocksure another time,
my young friend," said Ramsay as he took the note.
I noticed that Mr. Kelada's hands were trembling.
The story spread over the ship as stories do, and he had to put
up with a good deal of chaff that evening. It was a fine joke that Mr.
Know-All had been caught out. But Mrs. Ramsay retired to her state--
room with a headache.