`Look！Itiscomingintoshape，’whisperedLurganSahib。
Thejarhadbeensmashed-yess，smashed-notthenativeword，hewouldnotthinkofthat-butsmashed-intofiftypieces，andtwicethreewassix，andthricethreewasnine，andfourtimesthreewastwelve。Heclungdesperatelytotherepetition。Theshadow-outlineofthejarclearedlikeamistafterrubbingeyes。Therewerethebrokenshards；therewasthespiltwaterdryinginthesun，andthroughthecracksoftheverandashowed，allribbed，thewhitehouse-wallbelow-andthricetwelvewasthirty-six！
`Look！Isitcomingintoshape？’askedLurganSahib。
`Butitissmashed-smashed，’hegasped-LurganSahibhadbeenmutteringsoftlyforthelasthalf-minute。Kimwrenchedhisheadaside。
`Look！Dekho！Itisthereasitwasthere。’
`Itisthereasitwasthere，’saidLurgan，watchingKimcloselywhiletheboyrubbedhisneck。`Butyouarethefirstofmanywhohaseverseenitso。’Hewipedhisbroadforehead。
`Wasthatmoremagic？’Kimaskedsuspiciously。Thetinglehadgonefromhisveins；hefeltunusuallywideawake。
`No，thatwasnotmagic。Itwasonlytoseeiftherewas-aflawinajewel。Sometimesveryfinejewelswillflyalltopiecesifamanholdstheminhishand，andknowstheproperway。Thatiswhyonemustbecarefulbeforeonesetsthem。Tellme，didyouseetheshapeofthepot？’
`Foralittletime。Itbegantogrowlikeaflowerfromtheground。’
`Andthenwhatdidyoudo？Imean，howdidyouthink？’
`Oah！Iknewitwasbroken，andso，Ithink，thatwaswhatIthought-anditwasbroken。’
`Hm！Hasanyoneeverdonethatsamesortofmagictoyoubefore？’
`Ifitwas，’saidKim`doyouthinkIshouldletitagain？Ishouldrunaway。’
`Andnowyouarenotafraid-eh？’
`Notnow。’
LurganSahiblookedathimmorecloselythanever。`IshallaskMahbubAli-notnow，butsomedaylater，’hemuttered。`Iampleasedwithyou-yes；andIampleasedwithyou-no。Youarethefirstthateversavedhimself。IwishIknewwhatitwasthat……Butyouareright。Youshouldnottellthat-noteventome。’
Heturnedintotheduskygloomoftheshop，andsatdownatthetable，rubbinghishandssoftly。Asmall，huskysobcamefrombehindapileofcarpets。ItwastheHinduchildobedientlyfacingtowardsthewall。Histhinshouldersworkedwithgrief。
`Ah！Heisjealous，sojealous。Iwonderifhewilltrytopoisonmeagaininmybreakfast，andmakemecookittwice。’
`Kubbee-kubbeenahin[Never-never。No！]’，camethebrokenanswer。
`Andwhetherhewillkillthisotherboy？’
`Kubbee-kubbeenahin。’
`Whatdoyouthinkhewilldo？’HeturnedsuddenlyonKim。
`Oah！Idonotknow。Lethimgo，perhaps。Whydidhewanttopoisonyou？’
`Becauseheissofondofme。Supposeyouwerefondofsomeone，andyousawsomeonecome，andthemanyouwerefondofwasmorepleasedwithhimthanhewaswithyou，whatwouldyoudo？’
Kimthought。Lurganrepeatedthesentenceslowlyinthevernacular。
`Ishouldnotpoisonthatman，’saidKimreflectively，`butIshouldbeatthatboy-ifthatboywasfondofmyman。Butfirst，Iwouldaskthatboyifitweretrue。’
`Ah！Hethinkseveryonemustbefondofme。’
`ThenIthinkheisafool。’
`Hearestthou？’saidLurganSahibtotheshakingshoulders。`TheSahib’ssonthinksthouartalittlefool。Comeout，andnexttimethyheartistroubled，donottrywhitearsenicquitesoopenly。SurelytheDevilDasimwaslordofourtable-cloththatday！Itmighthavemademeill，child，andthenastrangerwouldhaveguardedthejewels。Come！’
Thechild，heavy-eyedwithmuchweeping，creptoutfrombehindthebaleandflunghimselfpassionatelyatLurganSahib’sfeet，withanextravaganceofremorsethatimpressedevenKim。
`Iwilllookintotheink-pools-Iwillfaithfullyguardthejewels！
Oh，myFatherandmyMother，sendhimaway！’HeindicatedKimwithabackwardjerkofhisbareheel。
`Notyet-notyet。Inalittlewhilehewillgoawayagain。Butnowheisatschool-atanewmadrissahandthoushaltbehisteacher。
PlaythePlayoftheJewelsagainsthim。Iwillkeeptally。’
Thechilddriedhistearsatonce，anddashedtothebackoftheshop，whencehereturnedwithacoppertray。
`Giveme！’hesaidtoLurganSahib。`Letthemcomefromthyhand，forhemaysaythatIknewthembefore。’
`Gently-gently，’themanreplied，andfromadrawerunderthetabledealtahalf-handfulofclatteringtriflesintothetray。
`Now，’saidthechild，wavinganoldnewspaper。`Lookonthemaslongasthouwilt，stranger。Countand，ifneedbe，handle。Onelookisenoughforme。’Heturnedhisbackproudly。
`Butwhatisthegame？’
`Whenthouhastcountedandhandledandartsurethatthoucanstrememberthemall，Icoverthemwiththispaper，andthoumusttelloverthetallytoLurganSahib。Iwillwritemine。’
`Oah！’Theinstinctofcompetitionwakedinhisbreast。Hebentoverthetray。Therewerebutfifteenstonesonit。`Thatiseasy，’hesaidafteraminute。Thechildslippedthepaperoverthewinkingjewelsandscribbledinanativeaccount-book。
`Thereareunderthatpaperfivebluestones-onebig，onesmaller，andthreesmall，’saidKim，allinhaste。`Therearefourgreenstones，andonewithaholeinit；thereisoneyellowstonethatIcanseethrough，andonelikeapipe-stem。Therearetworedstones，and-and-Imadethecountfifteen，buttwoIhaveforgotten。No！Givemetime。Onewasofivory，littleandbrownish；and-and-givemetime……’
`One-two’-LurganSahibcountedhimoutuptoten。Kimshookhishead。
`Hearmycount！’thechildburstin，trillingwithlaughter。`First，aretwoflawedsapphires-oneoftworutteesandoneoffourasIshouldjudge。Thefour-rutteesapphireischippedattheedge。ThereisoneTurkestanturquoise，plainwithblackveins，andtherearetwoinscribed-onewithaNameofGodingilt，andtheotherbeingcrackedacross，foritcameoutofanoldring，Icannotread。Wehavenowallfivebluestones。Fourflawedemeraldsthereare，butoneisdrilledintwoplaces，andoneisalittlecarven-’
`Theirweights？’saidLurganSahibimpassively。
`Three-five-five-andfourrutteesasIjudgeit。Thereisonepieceofoldgreenishpipeamber，andacuttopazfromEurope。ThereisonerubyofBurma，oftworuttees，withoutaflaw，andthereisabalas-ruby，flawed，oftworuttees。ThereisacarvedivoryfromChinarepresentingaratsuckinganegg；andthereislast-ahha！-aballofcrystalasbigasabeansetonagoldleaf。’
Heclappedhishandsattheclose。
`Heisthymaster，’saidLurganSahib，smiling。
`Huh！Heknewthenamesofthestones，’saidKim，flushing。`Tryagain！
WithcommonthingssuchasheandIbothknow。’
Theyheapedthetrayagainwithoddsandendsgatheredfromtheshop，andeventhekitchen，andeverytimethechildwon，tillKimmarvelled。
`Bindmyeyes-letmefeeloncewithmyfingers，andeventhenIwillleavetheeopened-eyedbehind，’hechallenged。
Kimstampedwithvexationwhentheladmadehisboastgood。
`Ifitweremen-orhorses，’hesaid，`Icoulddobetter。Thisplayingwithtweezersandknivesandscissorsistoolittle。’
`Learnfirst-teachlater，’saidLurganSahib。`Ishethymaster？’
`Truly。Buthowisitdone？’
`Bydoingitmanytimesovertillitisdoneperfectly-foritisworthdoing。’
TheHinduboy，inhighestfeather，actuallypattedKimontheback。
`Donotdespair，’hesaid。`Imyselfwillteachthee。’
`AndIwillseethatthouartwelltaught，’saidLurganSahib，stillspeakinginthevernacular，`forexceptmyboyhere-itwasfoolishofhimtobuysomuchwhitearsenicwhen，ifhehadasked，Icouldhavegivenit-exceptmyboyhereIhavenotinalongtimemetwithonebetterworthteaching。AndtherearetendaysmoreerethoucanstreturntoLucknaowheretheyteachnothing-atthelongprice。Weshall，Ithink，befriends。’
Theywereamostmadtendays，butKimenjoyedhimselftoomuchtoreflectontheircraziness。InthemorningtheyplayedtheJewelGame-sometimeswithveritablestones，sometimeswithpilesofswordsanddaggers，sometimeswithphotographsofnatives。ThroughtheafternoonsheandtheHinduboywouldmountguardintheshop，sittingdumbbehindacarpet-baleorascreenandwatchingMrLurgan’smanyandverycuriousvisitors。ThereweresmallRajahs，escortscoughingintheveranda，whocametobuycuriosities-
suchasphonegraphsandmechanicaltoys。Therewereladiesinsearchofnecklaces，andmen，itseemedtoKim-buthismindmayhavebeenvitiatedbyearlytraining-insearchoftheladies；nativesfromindependentandfeudatoryCourtswhoseostensiblebusinesswastherepairofbrokennecklaces-riversoflightpouredoutuponthetable-butwhosetrueendseemedtobetoraisemoneyforangryMaharaneesoryoungRajahs。TherewereBabustowhomLurganSahibtalkedwithausterityandauthority，butattheendofeachinterviewhegavethemmoneyincoinedsilverandcurrencynotes。
Therewereoccasionalgatherings’oflong-coatedtheatricalnativeswhodiscussedmetaphysicsinEnglishandBengali，toMrLurgan’sgreatedification。
Hewasalwaysinterestedinreligions。Attheendoftheday，KimandtheHinduboy-whosenamevariedatLurgan’spleasure-wereexpectedtogiveadetailedaccountofallthattheyhadseenandheard-theirviewofeachman’scharacter，asshowninhisface，talk，andmanner，andtheirnotionsofhisrealerrand。Afterdinner，LurganSahib’sfancyturnedmoretowhatmightbecalleddressing-up，inwhichgamehetookamostinforminginterest。Hecouldpaintfacestoamarvel；withabrush-dabhereandalinetherechangingthempastrecognition。Theshopwasfullofallmannerofdressesandturbans，andKimwasapparelledvariouslyasayoungMohammedanofgoodfamily，anoilman，andonce-whichwasajoyousevening-asthesonofanOudhlandholderinthefullestoffulldress。LurganSahibhadahawk’seyetodetecttheleastflawinthemake-up；andlyingonawornteak-woodcouch，wouldexplainbythehalf-hourtogetherhowsuchandsuchacastetalked，orwalked，orcoughed，orspat，orsneezed，and，sincehowsmatterlittleinthisworld，thewhyofeverything。