"For the purchase! yes," said Charles; "but for the sale?"
"My love," said his aunt, "surely you are not so foolish as to think there are lucky and unlucky days."
"No, I don't mean any thing about lucky and unlucky days," said Charles, running up to consult the barometer; "but what I mean is not foolish indeed: in some book I've read that the dealers in diamonds buy them when the air is light, and sell them when it is heavy, if they can; because their scales are so nice that they vary with the change in the atmosphere. Perhaps I may not remember exactly the words, but that's the sense, I know. I'll look for the words; I know whereabout to find them." He jumped upon a chair, to get down the book.
"But, Master Charles," said the Jew, with a show of deference, "I will not pretend to make a bargain with you--I see you know a great deal more than I of these traffics."
To this flattery Charles made no answer, but continued looking for the passage he wanted in his book. Whilst he was turning over the leaves, a gentleman, a friend of Mrs. Howard, who had promised her to meet Mr. Carat, came in. He was the gentleman formerly mentioned by the name of _the traveller_: he was a good judge of diamonds, and, what is better, he was a good judge of the human heart and understanding. He was much pleased with Charles's ready recollection of the little knowledge he possessed, with his eagerness to make that knowledge of use to his aunt, and more with his perfect simplicity and integrity; for Charles, after a moment's thought, turned to the Jew and said,--
"But the day that is good for my aunt must be bad for you. The buyers and sellers should each have fair play. Mr. Carat, your weights should be diamonds, and then the changes in the weight of the air would not signify one way or the other.{ 3}"
{ Footnote 3: This observation was literally made by a boy of ten years of age.}
Mr. Carat smiled at this speech, but, suppressing his contempt for the young gentleman, only observed, that he should most certainly follow Mr. Charles's advice, whenever he _wash_ rich enough to have diamonds for weights.
The traveller drew from his pocket a small book, took a pen, and wrote in the title-page of it, _For one who will make a good use of it_; and, with Mrs. Howard's permission, he gave the book to her nephew.