the late midday
He felt her stagger like a drunken creature , and he led her not into the fountain-room but to her bed-chamber , where she only begged to lie down ; and hardly had she done so when she was again overcome by sleep . Orion now made his way to Gamaliel the jeweller , to purchase from him a very large and costly diamond , plainly set , and the Israelite 's brother undertook to deliver it to the fair widow at Constantinople , who was known to him as one of his customers . Orion , in the jeweller 's sitting - room , wrote a letter to his former mistress , in which he begged her in the most urgent manner to accept the diamond , and in exchange to return to him the emerald by a swift and trustworthy messenger , whom Simeon the goldsmith would provide with everything needful . After all this be went home hungry and weary , to the late midday meal which he shared , as for many days past , with no one but Eudoxia , Mary 's governess . The little girl was not yet allowed to leave her room , and of this , for one reason , her instructress was glad , for a dinner alone with the handsome youth brought extreme gratification to her mature heart . How considerate was the wealthy and noble heir in desiring the slaves to offer every dish to her first , how kind in listening to her stories of her young days and of the illustrious houses in which she had formerly given lessons ! She would have died for him ; but , as no opportunity offered for such a sacrifice , at any rate she never omitted to point out to him the most delicate morsels , and to supply his room with fresh flowers .