the diamond maker-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






THE　DIAMOND　MAKER





Some　business　had　detained　me　in　Chancery　Lane　nine　in　the

evening；　and　thereafter；　having　some　inkling　of　a　headache；　I　was

disinclined　either　for　entertainment　or　further　work。　　So　much　of

the　sky　as　the　high　cliffs　of　that　narrow　canon　of　traffic　left

visible　spoke　of　a　serene　night；　and　I　determined　to　make　my　way

down　to　the　Embankment；　and　rest　my　eyes　and　cool　my　head　by

watching　the　variegated　lights　upon　the　river。　　Beyond　comparison

the　night　is　the　best　time　for　this　place；　a　merciful　darkness

hides　the　dirt　of　the　waters；　and　the　lights　of　this　transitional

age；　red　glaring　orange；　gas…yellow；　and　electric　white；　are　set　in

shadowy　outlines　of　every　possible　shade　between　grey　and　deep

purple。　　Through　the　arches　of　Waterloo　Bridge　a　hundred　points　of

light　mark　the　sweep　of　the　Embankment；　and　above　its　parapet　rise

the　towers　of　Westminster；warm　grey　against　the　starlight。　　The

black　river　goes　by　with　only　a　rare　ripple　breaking　its　silence；

and　disturbing　the　reflections　of　the　lights　that　swim　upon　its

surface。



〃A　warm　night；〃　said　a　voice　at　my　side。



I　turned　my　head；　and　saw　the　profile　of　a　man　who　was　leaning

over　the　parapet　beside　me。　　It　was　a　refined　face；　not　unhandsome；

though　pinched　and　pale　enough；　and　the　coat　collar　turned　up　and

pinned　round　the　throat　marked　his　status　in　life　as　sharply　as　a

uniform。　　I　felt　I　was　committed　to　the　price　of　a　bed　and

breakfast　if　I　answered　him。



I　looked　at　him　curiously。　　Would　he　have　anything　to　tell　me

worth　the　money；　or　was　he　the　common　incapableincapable　even　of

telling　his　own　story？　　There　was　a　quality　of　intelligence　in　his

forehead　and　eyes；　and　a　certain　tremulousness　in　his　nether　lip

that　decided　me。



〃Very　warm；〃　said　I；　〃but　not　too　warm　for　us　here。〃



〃No；〃　he　said；　still　looking　across　the　water；　〃it　is　pleasant

enough　here　。　。　。　。　just　now。〃



〃It　is　good；〃　he　continued　after　a　pause；　〃to　find　anything　so

restful　as　this　in　London。　　After　one　has　been　fretting　about

business　all　day；　about　getting　on；　meeting　obligations；　and

parrying　dangers；　I　do　not　know　what　one　would　do　if　it　were　not

for　such　pacific　corners。〃　　He　spoke　with　long　pauses　between　the

sentences。　　〃You　must　know　a　little　of　the　irksome　labour　of　the

world；　or　you　would　not　be　here。　　But　I　doubt　if　you　can　be　so

brain…weary　and　footsore　as　I　am　。　。　。　。　Bah！　　Sometimes　I　doubt　if

the　game　is　worth　the　candle。　　I　feel　inclined　to　throw　the　whole

thing　overname；　wealth　and　positionand　take　to　some　modest

trade。　　But　I　know　if　I　abandoned　my　ambitionhardly　as　she　uses

meI　should　have　nothing　but　remorse　left　for　the　rest　of　my

days。〃



He　became　silent。　　I　looked　at　him　in　astonishment。　　If　ever

I　saw　a　man　hopelessly　hard…up　it　was　the　man　in　front　of　me。　　He

was　ragged　and　he　was　dirty；　unshaven　and　unkempt；　he　looked　as

though　he　had　been　left　in　a　dust…bin　for　a　week。　　And　he　was

talking　to　ME　of　the　irksome　worries　of　a　large　business。　

I　almost　laughed　outright。　　Either　he　was　mad　or　playing　a　sorry

jest　on　his　own　poverty。



〃If　high　aims　and　high　positions；〃　said　I；　〃have　their

drawbacks　of　hard　work　and　anxiety；　they　have　their　compensations。　

Influence；　the　power　of　doing　good；　of　assisting　those　weaker　and

poorer　than　ourselves；　and　there　is　even　a　certain　gratification　in

display　。　。　。　。　。　〃



My　banter　under　the　circumstances　was　in　very　vile　taste。　　I

spoke　on　the　spur　of　the　contrast　of　his　appearance　and　speech。　　I

was　sorry　even　while　I　was　speaking。



He　turned　a　haggard　but　very　composed　face　upon　me。　　Said　he：

〃I　forgot　myself。　　Of　course　you　would　not　understand。〃



He　measured　me　for　a　moment。　　〃No　doubt　it　is　very　absurd。　

You　will　not　believe　me　even　when　I　tell　you；　so　that　it　is　fairly

safe　to　tell　you。　　And　it　will　be　a　comfort　to　tell　someone。　　I

really　have　a　big　business　in　hand；　a　very　big　business。　　But　there

are　troubles　just　now。　　The　fact　is　。　。　。　。　I　make　diamonds。〃



〃I　suppose；〃　said　I；　〃you　are　out　of　work　just　at　present？〃



〃I　am　sick　of　being　disbelieved；〃　he　said　impatiently；　and

suddenly　unbuttoning　his　wretched　coat　he　pulled　out　a　little

canvas　bag　that　was　hanging　by　a　cord　round　his　neck。　　From　this　he

produced　a　brown　pebble。　　〃I　wonder　if　you　know　enough　to　know　what

that　is？〃　　He　handed　it　to　me。



Now；　a　year　or　so　ago；　I　had　occupied　my　leisure　in　taking　a

London　science　degree；　so　that　I　have　a　smattering　of　physics　and

mineralogy。　　The　thing　was　not　unlike　an　uncut　diamond　of　the

darker　sort；　though　far　too　large；　being　almost　as　big　as　the　top

of　my　thumb。　　I　took　it；　and　saw　it　had　the　form　of　a　regular

octahedron；　with　the　curved　faces　peculiar　to　the　most　precious　of

minerals。　　I　took　out　my　penknife　and　tried　to　scratch　itvainly。　

Leaning　forward　towards　the　gas…lamp；　I　tried　the　thing　on　my

watch…glass；　and　scored　a　white　line　across　that　with　the　greatest

ease。



I　looked　at　my　interlocutor　with　rising　curiosity。　　〃It

certainly　is　rather　like　a　diamond。　　But；　if　so；　it　is　a　Behemoth

of　diamonds。　　Where　did　you　get　it？〃



〃I　tell　you　I　made　it；〃　he　said。　　〃Give　it　back　to　me。〃



He　replaced　it　hastily　and　buttoned　his　jacket。　　〃I　will　sell

it　you　for　one　hundred　pounds；〃　he　suddenly　whispered　eagerly。　

With　that　my　suspicions　returned。　　The　thing　might；　after　all；　be

merely　a　lump　of　that　almost　equally　hard　substance；　corundum；　with

an　accidental　resemblance　in　shape　to　the　diamond。　　Or　if　it　was　a

diamond；　how　came　he　by　it；　and　why　should　he　offer　it　at　a　hundred

pounds？



We　looked　into　one　another's　eyes。　　He　seemed　eager；　but

honestly　eager。　　At　that　moment　I　believed　it　was　a　diamond　he　was

trying　to　sell。　　Yet　I　am　a　poor　man；　a　hundred　pounds　would　leave

a　visible　gap　in　my　fortunes　and　no　sane　man　would　buy　a　diamond　by

gaslight　from　a　ragged　tramp　on　his　personal　warranty　only。　　Still；

a　diamond　that　size　conjured　up　a　vision　of　many　thousands　of

pounds。　　Then；　thought　I；　such　a　stone　could　scarcely　exist　without

being　mentioned　in　every　book　on　gems；　and　again　I　called　to　mind

the　stories　of　contraband　and　light…fingered　Kaffirs　at　the　Cape。　

I　put　the　question　of　purchase　on　one　side。



〃How　did　you　get　it？〃　said　I。



〃I　made　it。〃



I　had　heard　something　of　Moissan；　but　I　knew　his　artificial

diamonds　were　very　small。　　I　shook　my　head。



〃You　seem　to　know　something　of　this　kind　of　thing。　　I　will

tell　you　a　little　about　myself。　　Perhaps　then　you　may　think　better

of　the　purchase。〃　　He　turned　round　with　his　back　to　the　river；　and

put　his　hands　in　his　pockets。　　He　sighed。　　〃I　know　you　will　not

believe　me。〃



〃Diamonds；〃　he　beganand　as　he　spoke　his　voice　lost　its　faint

flavour　of　the　tramp　and　assumed　something　of　the　easy　tone　of　an

educated　manare　to　be　made　by　throwing　carbon　out　of　combination

in　a　suitable　flux　and　under　a　suitable　pressure；　the　carbon

crystallises　out；　not　as　black…lead　or　charcoal…powder；　but　as

small　diamonds。　　So　much　has　been　known　to　chemists　for　years；　but

no　one　yet　had　hit　upon　exactly　the　right　flux　in　which　to　melt　up

the　carbon；　or　exactly　the　right　pressure　for　the　best　results。　

Consequently　the　diamonds　made　by　chemists　are　small　and　dark；

and　worthless　as　jewels。　　Now　I；　you　know；　have　given　up　my　life　to

this　problemgiven　my　life　to　it。



〃I　began　to　work　at　the　conditions　of　diamond　making　when　I

was　seventeen；　and　now　I　am　thirty…two。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　it

might　take　all　the　thought　and　energies　of　a　man　for　ten　years；　or

twenty　years；　but；　even　if　it　did；　the　game　was　still　worth　the

candle。　　Suppose　one　to　have　at　last　just　hit　the　right　trick

before　the　secret　got　out　and　diamonds　became　as　common　as　coal；

one　might　realize　millions。　　Millions！〃



He　paused　and　looked　for　my　sympathy。　　His　eyes　shone

hungrily。　　〃To　think；〃　said　he；　〃that　I　am　on　the　verge　of　it　all；

and　here！



〃I　had；〃　he　proceeded；　〃about　a　thousand　pounds　when　I　was

twenty…one；　and　this；　I　thought；　eked　out　by　a　little　teaching；

would　keep　my　researches　going。　　A　year　or　two　was　spent　in　study；

at　Berlin　chiefly；　and　then　I　continued　on　my　own　account。　　The

trouble　was　the　secrecy。　　You　see；　if　once　I　had　let　out　what　I　was

doing；　other　men　might　have　been　spurred　on　by　my　belief　in　the

practicability　of　the　idea；　and　I　do　not　pretend　to　be　such　a

genius　as　to　have　been　sure　of　coming　in　first；　in　the　case　of　a

race　for　the　discovery。　　And　you　see　it　was　important　that　if　I

really　meant　to　make　a　pile；　people　should　not　know　it　was　an

artificial　process　and　capable　of　turning　out　diamonds　by　the　ton。　

So　I　had　to　work　all　alone。　　At　first　I　had　a　little　laboratory；

but　as　my　resources　began　to　run　out　I　had　to　conduct　my

experiments　in　a　wretched　unfurnished　room　in　Kentish　Town；　where

I　slept　at　last　on　a　straw　mattress　on　the　floor　among　all　my

apparatus。　　The　money　sim