the while, like a child playing with a toy. And when I lay
back on my cushions, sometimes I fancied that the little jewelled eyes
in the elephant head of bronze twinkled at me in merry and friendly
understanding. All which things I have since remembered with bitter
shame.

"But it happened one day that I was in angry mood--some contrary thing
among the women of my household had vexed me. And when I sat brooding
over my trouble, it seemed that the eyes of the Ganapati laughed at me
in mockery. And, angry now at the idol himself, I arose and pressed the
balls of my thumbs on the two scintillating clusters of jewels, as it
were to shut out the gleam of their impertinence, even ready, in my
insane access of wrath, to force them from their sockets as I might have
done with the eyeballs of a slave who had offended me.

"But in a moment all passion faded from my heart. For an extraordinary
thing happened.

"As I pressed with my thumbs, the clicking sound of moving wheels smote
my ear, and the elephant head began slowly to raise itself and revolve
backward on some concealed pivot, forming a gaping opening right across
the body of the Ganapati. And, as the opening gradually widened, by some
devilish contrivance the hammer of a gong concealed within the idol was
set in motion, and there resulted a loud continuous clanging din that
could have been heard at a far distance. Instinctively I thrust my
fingers in my ears to shut out the infernal noise. But after a time the
clangor ceased, and now I observed that the elephant head had moved
completely back on its hinges, and lay at rest, its single tusk raised
aloft. Within the body of the Ganapati a cavity was revealed.

"But before I could explore this, I was distracted by the frightened
outcries of my womenfolk, and I sallied forth to pacify them, and give
assurance that the bell need cause no alarm, it being one I had
purchased in the bazaars with the intent some day to use it as a
protection against thieves--its obvious utility, as I guessed even now.
When all was again at peace I returned to the secret chamber. Everything
was as I had left it a few minutes previously.

"In the hollow body of the bronze idol there lay disclosed to view a
small casket of rock crystal, round and polished, and provided with a
cap of gold. For me to snatch this casket from its hiding-place was the
work of an instant. Straightway I removed the golden lid, and there, in
the smooth, transparent nest