My Library

stars, and just where the two bars met was a rose just blooming, and colored with enamel to the life. Gazing still closer at this novel breastpin, with the aid of a fine eye-glass, I discovered a legend engraved in minute and strange characters upon the rim of the crescent; upon the left quarter of this crescent was a pelican feeding her young with her heart’s blood; midway was a tiny black rose, and on the right corner was one of deep crimson. “The workmanship was exquisite, indeed quite extraordinary, for the entire jewel was not larger than a golden dollar. He also showed me a large and massive seal, pendent from his watch, and on its face was engraved a ladder of twelve steps, the first and fifth of which were broken. The foot of this ladder rested upon a broken column, near which lay a mason’s trowel, and its top leaned against the beam and ring of an anchor, reversed, the lower part being lost in what represented a cloud. After I had sufficiently admired the seal, he semi-playfully drew forth his watch, to which it was attached by a fine gold ‘rope’-chain, and observed: ‘I have more of the same kind,’ at the same time placing it in my hand. “The watch was an ordinary smooth-backed, hunting-cased gold chronometer, worth perhaps fifty or sixty pounds sterling, the extra value being acquired by an anchor fouled, done in diamond points upon the internal face. The