Mr. Vandeleur looked up; his face contracted with the blackest and most deadly passion; his eyes opened widely, and his under jaw dropped in an astonishment that was upon the brink of fury. By an instinctive movement he had covered the hat-box with the coat. For half a minute the two men stared upon each other in silence. It was not a long interval, but it sufficed for Mr. Rolles; he was one of those who think swiftly on dangerous occasions; he decided on a course of action of a singularly daring nature; and although he felt he was setting his life upon the hazard, he was the first to break silence. “I beg your pardon,” said he. The Dictator shivered slightly, and when he spoke his voice was hoarse. “What do you want here?” he asked. “I take a particular interest in diamonds,” replied Mr. Rolles, with an air of perfect self-possession. “Two connoisseurs should be acquainted. I have here a trifle of my own which may perhaps serve for an introduction.” And so saying, he quietly took the case from his pocket, showed the Rajah’s Diamond to the Dictator for an instant, and replaced it in security. “It was once your brother’s,” he added. John Vandeleur continued to regard him with a look of almost painful amazement; but he neither spoke nor moved. “I was pleased to observe,” resumed the young man, “that we have gems from the same collection.” The Dictator’s surprise overpowered him. “I beg your pardon,” he said; “I begin to perceive that I am growing old! I am positively not prepared for little incidents like this. But set my mind at rest upon one point: do my eyes deceive me, or are you indeed a parson?” “I am in holy orders,” answered Mr. Rolles. “Well,” cried the other, “as long as I live I will never hear another word against the cloth!” “You flatter me,” said Mr. Rolles. “Pardon me,” replied Vandeleur; “pardon me, young man. You are no coward, but it still remains to be seen whether you are not the worst of fools. Perhaps,” he continued, leaning back upon his seat, “perhaps you would oblige me with a few particulars. I must suppose you had some object in the stupefying impudence of your proceedings, and I confess I have a curiosity to know it.” “It is very simple,” replied the clergyman; “it proceeds from my great inexperience of life.” “I shall be glad to be persuaded,” answered Vandeleur. Whereupon Mr. Rolles told him the whole story of his connection with the Rajah’s Diamond, from the time he found it in Raeburn’s garden to the time when he left London in the Flying Scotchman. He added a brief sketch of his feelings and thoughts during the journey, and concluded in these words:—