<TD></TD></TABLE>
sforatothatstoneyougotnoideahoubbooldpjcanbe鈥
fourhundredthousandhalstonuldfeeltheneyslippingbete,ioingeverythingie鈥
鈥淚taintupto,honey,鈥shesaid鈥淚tsuptopj鈥
andthelinedead
halstonsattherecursingfateeraldheuntilthethirdbuzzhepusheddohebuttonandsnapped,鈥淲hatisit鈥
鈥淭heresantessarissaonthetelephone,halstonshesentfortheerald鈥
anotheronehehadhadatleasttenaehepickedupthetelephoneandsaidungraciously,鈥淵es鈥
asoftfelevoiceerald,s屑鈥
鈥淚fitfitsqualifipatienceoutofhisvoice
鈥淚haveaneraldthathasbeeninfalyfoyyearsitisapeinasituationnoforcedtosellit鈥
hehadheardthatstorybeforeisttryaybesothingcainatthelastnute,or鈥
鈥淪ignoreyouarelookingforatencaraterald,s屑鈥
鈥淵es鈥
鈥淚haveatencaratverde鈥green鈥loian鈥
onstartedtospeak,hefoundthathisvoicehatagain,please鈥
鈥淪屑ihaveatencaratgrassgreenloianerestedinthat鈥
鈥淚ghtbe,鈥hesaidcarefully鈥淚ehavealookatit鈥
鈥淣o,syhusbandperhapsnextould鈥斺�
nonextetoseeyou鈥hetriedtokeeptheeageessoutofhisvoice鈥淚uldeupnow鈥
鈥淢a,nosonooccupatastaniiogoshopping鈥斺�
鈥淲hereareyoustaying,ntessa鈥
鈥淎tthesavoy鈥
鈥淚canbethereinfifteennutesten鈥hisvoicewasfeverish
鈥淢oltobeneandyouais鈥斺�
鈥淗alstongregoryhalston鈥
鈥淪uiteventisei鈥tysix鈥
thetaxirideinablehalstontransportedhielffroheheightsofheaventothedepthsofhell,andbaeyoungnasheliked鈥
gregoryhalstonselfpraying,letthestonebesilarenoughtosatisfyoldpjbenecke
hestoodinfrontofthedoorofthentessasrooakingsloselfheknockedonthedoor,andtherewasnoanswer
oh,god,halstonthoughtshesgone;shedidntesheoutshoppingand鈥
thedooropened,andhalstonfoundhielffacinganelegantlookingladyinherfifties,hdarkeyes,alinedface,andblackhairlacedhgray
elodicitalianaccent鈥淪屑鈥
鈥淚gregoryhalstonyouttelephoned鈥inhisnervousnessheuttering
鈥淎h,s屑iahentessarissaein,signore,perfavore鈥
鈥淭hankyou鈥
heenteredthesuite,pressinghiskneestogethertokeeptherorelinghealstblurtedout,鈥淲herestheeraldbuthekneustntrolhielfhestnotseeooeagerifthestoneateur鈥
鈥淧leasetosityourself,鈥thentessasaid
hetookachair
鈥淪oltobeneingleseispeakpoorenglish鈥
鈥淣o,noitschag,chag鈥
鈥淕razieakeperhapsffeetea鈥
鈥淣o,thankyou,ntessa鈥
heuldfeelhisstochquiveringeraldheuldnoterald鈥斺�
shesaid,鈥淎h,s屑theeraldebygrandtheriydaughteryhusbandisgoingintoaneilano,andi鈥斺�
halstonsndhiheeraldthesuspenseorethanheuldbear
鈥淐redoyhusbandgetstartedinhisbusiness鈥shesledruefully鈥淧erhapsiaakingastake鈥斺�
鈥淣o,no,鈥halstonsaidhastily鈥淣otatall,ntessaitsaeraldnow鈥
鈥淚haveithere,鈥thentessasaid
shereabianeraldhehadeverseenitostiossibletodetee,halstontoldhielf,butonlyanexpertblehefor
hetuedthestoneover,lettingthelightcatchthebeautifulfacets,andsaidcasually,鈥淚tsaratheicelittlestone鈥
鈥淪plendente,s屑ihaveloveditverychalltheseyearsietoparthit鈥
鈥淵ouredoingtherightthing,鈥halstonassuredher鈥淥nceyourhusbandsbusinessissuccessful,youanyoftheseasyouwish鈥
鈥淭hatisexapati鈥
鈥淚oingalittlefavorforafriend,ntessauyfriendatchaneraldthathisagineheuchassixtythousanddollarsforthisstone鈥
thentessasighed鈥淢ygrandtherefroergraveifisolditforsixtythousanddollars鈥
halstonpursedhislipsheuldaffordtogohigherhesled鈥淚lltellyouightpersuadefriendtogoashighasonehundredthousandthatsagreatdealofney,buthesanxioustohavethestone鈥
鈥淭hatsoundsfair,鈥thentessasaid
gregoryhalstonsheartsycheckbooke,soilljusteoutacheck鈥斺�
鈥淢a,no鈥iafraidityproble鈥thentessasvoicewassad
halstonstaredather鈥淵ourproble
... </P></TD>
sforatothatstoneyougotnoideahoubbooldpjcanbe鈥
fourhundredthousandhalstonuldfeeltheneyslippingbete,ioingeverythingie鈥
鈥淚taintupto,honey,鈥shesaid鈥淚tsuptopj鈥
andthelinedead
halstonsattherecursingfateeraldheuntilthethirdbuzzhepusheddohebuttonandsnapped,鈥淲hatisit鈥
鈥淭heresantessarissaonthetelephone,halstonshesentfortheerald鈥
anotheronehehadhadatleasttenaehepickedupthetelephoneandsaidungraciously,鈥淵es鈥
asoftfelevoiceerald,s屑鈥
鈥淚fitfitsqualifipatienceoutofhisvoice
鈥淚haveaneraldthathasbeeninfalyfoyyearsitisapeinasituationnoforcedtosellit鈥
hehadheardthatstorybeforeisttryaybesothingcainatthelastnute,or鈥
鈥淪ignoreyouarelookingforatencaraterald,s屑鈥
鈥淵es鈥
鈥淚haveatencaratverde鈥green鈥loian鈥
onstartedtospeak,hefoundthathisvoicehatagain,please鈥
鈥淪屑ihaveatencaratgrassgreenloianerestedinthat鈥
鈥淚ghtbe,鈥hesaidcarefully鈥淚ehavealookatit鈥
鈥淣o,syhusbandperhapsnextould鈥斺�
nonextetoseeyou鈥hetriedtokeeptheeageessoutofhisvoice鈥淚uldeupnow鈥
鈥淢a,nosonooccupatastaniiogoshopping鈥斺�
鈥淲hereareyoustaying,ntessa鈥
鈥淎tthesavoy鈥
鈥淚canbethereinfifteennutesten鈥hisvoicewasfeverish
鈥淢oltobeneandyouais鈥斺�
鈥淗alstongregoryhalston鈥
鈥淪uiteventisei鈥tysix鈥
thetaxirideinablehalstontransportedhielffroheheightsofheaventothedepthsofhell,andbaeyoungnasheliked鈥
gregoryhalstonselfpraying,letthestonebesilarenoughtosatisfyoldpjbenecke
hestoodinfrontofthedoorofthentessasrooakingsloselfheknockedonthedoor,andtherewasnoanswer
oh,god,halstonthoughtshesgone;shedidntesheoutshoppingand鈥
thedooropened,andhalstonfoundhielffacinganelegantlookingladyinherfifties,hdarkeyes,alinedface,andblackhairlacedhgray
elodicitalianaccent鈥淪屑鈥
鈥淚gregoryhalstonyouttelephoned鈥inhisnervousnessheuttering
鈥淎h,s屑iahentessarissaein,signore,perfavore鈥
鈥淭hankyou鈥
heenteredthesuite,pressinghiskneestogethertokeeptherorelinghealstblurtedout,鈥淲herestheeraldbuthekneustntrolhielfhestnotseeooeagerifthestoneateur鈥
鈥淧leasetosityourself,鈥thentessasaid
hetookachair
鈥淪oltobeneingleseispeakpoorenglish鈥
鈥淣o,noitschag,chag鈥
鈥淕razieakeperhapsffeetea鈥
鈥淣o,thankyou,ntessa鈥
heuldfeelhisstochquiveringeraldheuldnoterald鈥斺�
shesaid,鈥淎h,s屑theeraldebygrandtheriydaughteryhusbandisgoingintoaneilano,andi鈥斺�
halstonsndhiheeraldthesuspenseorethanheuldbear
鈥淐redoyhusbandgetstartedinhisbusiness鈥shesledruefully鈥淧erhapsiaakingastake鈥斺�
鈥淣o,no,鈥halstonsaidhastily鈥淣otatall,ntessaitsaeraldnow鈥
鈥淚haveithere,鈥thentessasaid
shereabianeraldhehadeverseenitostiossibletodetee,halstontoldhielf,butonlyanexpertblehefor
hetuedthestoneover,lettingthelightcatchthebeautifulfacets,andsaidcasually,鈥淚tsaratheicelittlestone鈥
鈥淪plendente,s屑ihaveloveditverychalltheseyearsietoparthit鈥
鈥淵ouredoingtherightthing,鈥halstonassuredher鈥淥nceyourhusbandsbusinessissuccessful,youanyoftheseasyouwish鈥
鈥淭hatisexapati鈥
鈥淚oingalittlefavorforafriend,ntessauyfriendatchaneraldthathisagineheuchassixtythousanddollarsforthisstone鈥
thentessasighed鈥淢ygrandtherefroergraveifisolditforsixtythousanddollars鈥
halstonpursedhislipsheuldaffordtogohigherhesled鈥淚lltellyouightpersuadefriendtogoashighasonehundredthousandthatsagreatdealofney,buthesanxioustohavethestone鈥
鈥淭hatsoundsfair,鈥thentessasaid
gregoryhalstonsheartsycheckbooke,soilljusteoutacheck鈥斺�
鈥淢a,no鈥iafraidityproble鈥thentessasvoicewassad
halstonstaredather鈥淵ourproble
... </P></TD>