An African Millionaire

ia will not be surprised to learn that we did take a trip to Switzerland accordingl

on in the season; but they were overcome at last by the usual application of a golden key; and we found ourselve

incipient mania which shows itself in the form of an insane desire to climb mountain heights of disagreeable steepness and unnecessary snowiness, I will venture to assert we all enjoyed ourselves. We spe

ral excellent investments, or several deserving objects of Christian charity. It is my business in life, as his brother-in-law and secretary, to decline with thanks the excellent investments, and to throw judicious cold water on the objects of charity. Even I myself, as the great man's almoner, am very much sought after. People casually allude before me to artless stories of "poor curates in Cumberland, you

le d'h?te; she says she can't bear to be boxed up all day in private rooms with "too much family"-a sinister-looking man with dark hair and eyes, conspicuous by his bushy overhanging eyebrows. My attention was first called to the eyebrows in question by a nice little parson who sat at our side,

o you believe they're his own?" I asked of the curate; "or are they

Charles began, and ch

o say the truth, Vandrift had straightly enjoined on me long before to say nothing of our painful litt

e parson inquired, wit

give a queer sort of start. Charles's glance w

ered out, trying hard to look unconcerned. "A fellow t

ke a donkey, would

as Colonel Clay, the curate was obviously giving him the cue, and making it much more di

passing expression. But this is not the man. I

d, nodding hard and looking wise. Then he turned to his wife and made a

s and diverted attention for a moment. The magical name of Gladstone saved us. Sir Charles flar

son, the exclusive grantee of extensive concessions from the Brazilian Government on the Upper Amazons. He dived into conversation with me at once as to the splendid mineral resources of his Brazilian estate-the silver, the platinum, the actual rubies, the possible diamonds. I listened and smiled; I knew what was coming. All he needed to develop this magnificent concession was a littl

lf up; "but if I took a fancy to a fellow who had command of ready cash, I migh

f you," I answered drily, fi

rds with Sir Charles. His glance followed mine a

und to confess I never saw any man speak so well by movement al

a ruby absolutely sickens me. When Charles, in an unwonted fit of generosity, once gave his sister Isabel (whom I had the honour to marry) a ruby necklet (inferior stones), I made Isabel change it for sapphires and amethysts, on the judicious plea that they suited her comp

ference debentures of his bogus company, and a lien on the concession. I listened and smiled; I listened and yawned; I listened and was rude; I ceased to listen at all; but still he droned on with it. I fell asleep on the steamer one day, and woke up in ten minut

n they come across a young couple who are simple and natural, they delight in the purely human relation. We picnicked and went excursions a great deal with the honeymooners. They were so frank in their young love, and so proof against chaff, that we all really liked them. But whenever I called the pretty girl "White Heather," she looked

purpose to test him: these parsons are always trying to screw something out of one for their poor; men in my position know the truth of the saying that we have that class of the population always with us. Would you believe it, he says he hasn't any poor at all in his parish! They're all well-to-do farmers or else able-bodied labourers, and his one terror is that somebody will come and tr

want to get anything o

. I glanced at them, and saw at once they were a singular possession for so unobtrusive a person. They consisted each of a short gold bar for one arm of the link, fastened by a tiny chain of the same material to what seemed to my tolerably experienced eye-a first-rate diamond. Pretty big diamonds, too, and of remarkable shape, brilliancy, and cutting. In a moment I knew what Amelia meant. She owned a

e of good-humoured amusement. "Taken in another person, Dick, dear!" she exclaimed, in her

erved incautiously. (A most unwise a

est old-fashioned Oriental paste. My great-grandfather bought them, after the siege of Seringapatam, for a few rupees, from a Sepoy who had looted them from Tippoo Sultan's palace. He thought, like you, he had got a good thing. But it tur

so supposed to have come from Tippoo's collection. Both drew at once an identical conclusion. These were two of the

rles asked blandly. He spoke in

ince the siege, as a sort of valueless heirloom, for the sake of the picturesqueness of the story, you know; and nobody ever sees them without askin

him narrowly. He examined them close, first with the naked eye, then with the little pocket-lens which he always carries. "Adm

y were real gems of unusual value. I know Charles's way of doing business so well. His

es through them now, Dick," she cried. "I felt

at them that she meant to have them. And when Amelia means to have anything, people

beloved sister-in-law's. More perfect diamonds have seldom been seen. They have excited the universal admiration of thieves and connoisseurs. Amelia told me afterwards that, according to legend, a Sepoy stole the necklet at the sack of the palace, and then f

ality. Lady Vandrift has a necklet much the same in character, but composed of genuine stones; and as these are so much like

and buy me a brooch with the money! A pair of common links would do for yo

accent, that I couldn't imagine how Dick had th

you. My dear mother wore them, while she lived, as ear-rings; and as soon as she died I had them set as links in order that I might

on to believe a perfect new Kimberley will soon be discovered. If at any time you would care, Sir Charles, to look a

eyebrows as if he would devour him raw. Poor Dr. Hector Macpherson subsided instantly. We learnt a little later that he was a harmless lunatic, who went about the world with successive concessions for ruby mines and platinum reefs, because he had been ruined and driven mad by speculations in the two, and now recouped himself

sofa. "Charles," she broke out in the voice of a tragedy queen, "thos

all have them, Amelia. They're worth not less than th

. He cared more for his mother's gift and a family tradition than for a hundred pounds, if Sir Charles were to offer it. Charles's eye gleamed.

" the curate answered. "No, I

somewhat, and he looked

as too pr

nd my wife has set her heart on them. It's every man's duty to pl

otch girl cla

nk what fun we could have, and what good

sistible. But the c

r-rings! Uncle Aubrey would be so angry if he k

Uncle Aubrey?" Sir Charl

y, the darling old soul hasn't a penny to bless himself with, except his pension.

ncle Aubrey's feelings," S

ncle Aubrey! I wouldn't do anything for the wor

ia. "Well, have you

to sell them himself, but is afraid what 'Uncle Aubrey' would say about the matter. His wife will talk him ou

with me over arrears of correspondence. When we did come down the concierge stepped forward with a twisted little feminine note for Amelia. She took it and read it

ad it. Then he passed it on to

sday,

fever in Paris. I wanted to shake hands with you before we left-you have all been so sweet to us-but we go by the morning train, absurdly early, and I wouldn't for worlds disturb you. Perhaps so

those dear Wentworths, and a kiss for you

ere they've gone," Amelia ex

," Isabel suggested, lo

d at hi

Rev. Richard Peploe Brabazon, Holme B

etters might be sen

l further notice, H?tel des D

nd was made

ays' more stay at an expensive hotel, will probably upset the curate's budget. He'll be glad to sell now. You'll get them

o do?" Charles asked.

o. Seymour must start off at once, taking the night train to Paris; and the moment he gets there, he must interview the

dentical proposition. So the self-same evening saw me safe in the train on my way to Paris; and next morning I turned out of my comfortable sleeping-car at the Gare de Strasbourg. My order

told upon them after their long railway journey. They were pale and tired, Mrs. Brabazon, in particular, looking ill and worried-too much like White Heather. I was more than half ashamed of bothering them about the

ie begged and prayed; she had grown really attached to Lady Vandrift, she said; but the curate wouldn't hear of it. I went up tentatively to four hundred. He shook his head gloomily. It wasn't a question of money, he said. It was a question of affection. I saw it was no use trying that tack any longer. I struck out a new line. "These

and tested by half a dozen jewellers, and we know them to be paste. It wouldn't be right of m

e. But Lady Vandrift has an unconquerable and unaccountable desire to possess them. Money doesn't matter

ld be wrong," he said,-"I

ke all ris

As a clergyman," he answer

, Mrs. Brabaz

t hear what she said, but he seemed to give way at last. "I should love Lady Vandrift to have them," she murmured, t

uch?"

ogatively. It was a big rise, all at

plied. "Do y

ed up as if ash

, I should like you to give me a statement in writing that you buy them on my distinct and positive declaration that

ms into my purs

h his unerring business instinct, had anticipated the

ke a cheque?

esit

France would suit me

plied. "I will go

ple are! He allowed me to go o

shed it for notes of the Bank of France. The curate clasped them with pleasure. And right glad I was to go back to Luce

ion Amelia met me. She

ht them, Seymo

d, producing my

ng back. "Do you think they're real?

"No one can take me in, in the matter of d

ust like that-she's read of it in a book. A swindler has two sets-one real, one false; and he makes

ed," I answered. "I a

" Amelia murmured, "til

xamine. Her doubt was contagious. I half feared, myself, he might break out into a deep monosyllabic interjection, losing

ss than their value," he

ubt of their re

em. "They are genuine stones, precisely the s

stairs," she said slowly, "and bring down

athless. Amelia is far from slim, and I nev

ng has happened? Two of my own stones are gone. He's stolen a

too true. Two gems were missing-and t

hand to my head. "By Jove," I exclaim

e Heather-that innocent little Scotchwoman! I often detected a familiar ring in

ut, like the Commissary at Nice,

e man is," he said, "he has a method. He doesn't go out of his way to cheat us; he makes us go out of ours t

ar trick to draw us on by. If we had suspected him he could have shown the diamonds were real, and so escaped detection. It was a blind to draw us off from the fact of t

y jewel-case, though

Charles answered. "Yo

e whole rivière at once, an

Vandrift rivière, and seen pictures of the shape of them. They're marked gems, so to speak. No, he played a better game-took a couple of them off, and offered them to the only one person on earth who was likely to buy them without suspicion

n himself, and can appreciat

we only discovered much later. I will not here anticipate that disclosure. One thing a

the H?tel des Deux Mondes for parts unknown that same afternoon. And, as usual with Colonel Clay, they vanished into space, leaving no clue behind them. In other words, they changed their disguise, no doubt, and reappeared s

st him. As far as I can see, messieurs, there is not much to choose between you. You, Monsieur le Chevalier, desired to buy diamonds at the price of paste. You, madame, feared you had bought paste at th

o doubt, but by n

he will never again take me in, my dear Sey. I only hope he'll try it on. I should love to catch him. I'd know him another time, I'm sure,

d under the verandah of the Grand Hotel, in the big glass courtyard. And I veri

e beginning to sus