Leaving the pieces of gold in the box, they carried the crucifix and the
parchment out on to the terrace, and then the Professor adjusted his
strongest spectacles and prepared to read what he could, while Halcyone
examined the beautiful thing.
The writing was still fairly dark and the words were in Latin. It
stated, so the Professor read, that the money and the crucifix were the
property of Timothy La Sarthe, Gentleman to Queen Henrietta Maria, and
that, should aught befall him in his flight to France upon secret
business for Her Majesty, the gold and the crucifix belonged to
whichever of his descendants should find it--or it should be handed to;
that all others were cursed who should touch it, and that it would bring
the owner fortune, as it was the work of one Benvenuto Cellini, an
artist of great renown in Florence before his day, and therefore of
great value. The quaintly phrased deed added that if it were taken to
one Reuben Zana, a Jew in the Jewry at the sign of the Golden Horn, he
would dispose of it for a large sum to the French king. The crucifix had
been brought from Florence in the dower of his wife Donna Vittoria
Tornabuoni, now dead.
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