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On it lay a letter to me. It ran thus:
“DEAR TOM: This box contains a large number of very fine pigeon-blood rubies and a fair lot of diamonds; one is blue—a beauty. There are hundreds of pearls—one the famous green pearl and a necklace of blue pearls, for which any woman would sell her soul—or her affections.” I thought of Susan. “I wish you to continue to have expectations and continuously to remember your dear uncle. I would have left these stones to some charity, but I hate the poor as much as I hate your mother’s son,—yes, rather more. “The box contains an interesting mechanism, which will act with certainty as you unlock it, and explode ten ounces of my improved, supersensitive dynamite— no, to be accurate, there are only nine and a half ounces. Doubt me, and open it, and you will be blown to atoms. Believe me, and you will continue to nourish expectations which will never be fulfilled. As a considerate man, I counsel extreme care in handling the box. Don’t forget your affectionate
UNCLE”
Explanation:
On the top of the box, there had been a letter. In the letter, it was addressed as "DEAR TOM". The box contains many magnificent pigeon-blood rubies and a decent number of diamonds. There were hundreds of pearls inside the box. Among them were a legendary green pearl and a blue pearl necklace, both for which any lady would sell her soul or emotions. According to the uncle, women love to wear ornaments, so if they see the necklace, they will do anything for the sake of the necklace. While reading the letter and the statements made by his uncle, the narrator thought of Susan (She was the narrator's fiancé).
Red ruby
Furthermore, his uncle intended the narrator to have many more expectations and remember him. Also, Uncle Philip claimed that he would have donated these stones to charity, but he despises the impoverished even more than he dislikes the narrator's mother's son. Here the uncle indirectly refers to the narrator.
The box includes an interesting mechanism that will work as soon as the narrator opens it. He also warned the narrator to be cautious when opening the box because it contained ten ounces of dynamite. Furthermore, he stated that the dynamite is quite sensitive. He then corrected that he had stored nine and a half ounces of dynamite. Uncle Philip then stated that he might open it if the narrator doubts it. If he opens it, he will shatter into a million pieces. He asked the narrator to keep more expectations, which would not be fulfilled. As a thoughtful man, he advises handling the box with extreme caution. At last, he asks the narrator not to forget him.
Meanings of the difficult words:
| S.No | Words | Meanings |
1 | Diamond | A precious stone consisting of a clear and colourless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance |
2 | Dynamite | A type of explosive |
3 | Accurate | Correct, exact, and without any mistakes |
Reference:
State Council of Educational Research and Training (2018). Term-1 English Standard-10. A Dilemma - Silas Weir Mitchell (pp. 205-211). Published by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.
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