I jammed the clay down over it.
"There," said I, "you may remain till doomsday, or till some one finds
you; you will be of no use to me;" and I thought of the cock in the
fable. My tattered Bible caught my eye, and I said to it, "You are of
more value than all the diamonds in the world;" and I only uttered
what I felt.

For a long time I mourned for Ingram, and thought nothing of the
diamond. Three months more passed away, and I had been eighteen months
in the mines, when some visitors made their appearance--no less than
one of the principals of the Jesuit order, who had been sent by the
king of Portugal out to the Brazils, on a tour of inspection, as it
was called, but in fact to examine into the state of affairs, and the
way in which the government revenue was collected. There had lately
been so much peculation on the part of the various officers, that it
was considered necessary to make minute inquiry. A Portuguese nobleman
had been sent out the year before, but had died shortly after his
arrival, and there was every reason to suppose that he had been
poisoned, that the inquiry might be got rid of. Now this Jesuit priest
had been sent out, probably because a Portuguese, who thought little
of poisoning and stabbing a layman, would not dare to attempt the life
of so sacred a character. Having full and extraordinary powers, he had
made a short inquiry into the different departments of government, and
had now come to the mines to ascertain how far the delivery of the
diamonds at the treasury agreed with the collection at the mines; for
these mines had usually produced from a million to a million and a
half of revenue. The director was in a great fuss when he heard of
this arrival at the further barrier; although immediately announced to
him, he had scarcely an hour to prepare before the superior of the
Jesuits arrived with his suite, consisting of about twenty people, and
fifty or sixty sumpter mules and riding-horses. We were all called out
to receive him, that is, all the inspectors. I went to attend the
parade, and awaited with much indifference; but my feelings were soon
changed, when in this superior of the Jesuits I beheld the Catholic
priest who had visited me in the Tower and obtained my release. The
superior bowed to the director and to all around him, and as he then
looked at us all, he recognized me immediately.

"You here, my son?" said he.

"Yes, holy father," replied I, "and I thank Heaven that your arri