THE KING OF DIAMONDS A Tale of Mystery and Adventure By LOUIS TRACY Author of "The Wings of the Morning," "The Pillar of Light," Etc. GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK COPYRIGHT 1904. BY EDWARD J. CLODE. [Illustration: "INSTANT ACTION IS WORTH A CENTURY OF DIPLOMACY."] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. No. 3, Johnson's Mews 5 II. On the Edge of the Precipice 19 III. What the Meteor Contained 32 IV. Isaacstein 45 V. Perplexing a Magistrate 60 VI. A Game of Hazard 73 VII. A Business Transaction 87 VIII. The Transition 105 IX. A Decisive Battle 122 X. A Step Higher 136 XI. In Clover 151 XII. The Close of One Epoch 165 XIII. After Long Years 177 XIV. An Adventure 192 XV. A Face From the Past 208 XVI. The Master Fiend 223 XVII. The Inmates of the Grange House 238 XVIII. "Revenge is Mine; I Will Repay" 253 XIX. Philip Anson Redivivus 266 XX. Nemesis 281 XXI. The Rescue 293 XXII. A Settlement of Old Scores 307 THE KING OF DIAMONDS. CHAPTER I. _No. 3, Johnson's Mews._ "Is there no hope, doctor?" "Absolutely none--now." "If she had gone to the--the workhouse infirmary--would she have lived?" The doctor paused. The gulp before that hateful word was not lost on him. He tried professional severity, and bestowed some care on the buttoning of a glove. "I am surprised," he said, "that an excellent woman like your mother should encourage your feelings of--er--repugnance toward--er----Confound it, boy, have you no relatives or friends?" "No, sir. We are alone in the world." "And hard up, eh?" The boy dug a hand into a pocket with the stolid indifference of despair. He produced two shillings and some pennies. He picked out the silver, and the man reddened in protest.