Still under the spell of the old woman's unexpected revelation, Kenneth had relapsed into a thoughtful silence. The surprising news had affected him strangely. So--he had had a brother--a twin brother, and all these years he had been in ignorance of the fact. Yet who could be nearer or dearer than a twin brother? Together they had lain under the same mother's heart. Together they had first seen the light and laughed in the sun. Ah, if he had only lived to be his comrade, his partner! With a brother at his side, to second him in his hazardous enterprises, he felt he would indeed be invincible. He could have conquered the world! The old nurse held out a withered hand, and her eyes were moist with tears as she said: "Good-bye, Mr. Kenneth. A safe journey to you. Keep out of danger. I'll be praying for the Lord to watch over you." Helen turned away so they might not see her emotion. Kenneth laughed lightly as he kissed the old woman's cheek, and then, slipping a bank note into her hand, he said carelessly: "All right, Mary, I'll be careful. I'll come back safe and sound,--never fear, and I'll bring you something nice,--perhaps a big diamond. Out in South Africa they pick 'em up like stones." The old woman's eyes opened incredulously. "Really, Mr. Kenneth?" "Yes, really. Diamonds as big as apples. They're found every day. When I come back I'll have all sorts of adventures to tell you about. Who knows? I might even run across this twin-brother of mine. Stranger things have happened." "Diamonds as big as apples," she echoed. "Do you mean that, Mr. Kenneth?" He laughed. "Indeed I do! Some of the gems are as big as cocoanuts. Didn't you hear of that wonderful diamond we found the other day? It's worth a million dollars." The old woman opened her eyes and gaped with astonishment. "A million dollars, Mr. Kenneth!" "Yes, a million dollars. What's more, I'll soon be able to show it to you, Mary. My trip out to South Africa is ostensibly for the purpose of negotiating for more land. The real purpose of my journey is to bring home this astonishing stone." "But how will you carry it, Mr. Kenneth? A stone worth a million dollars must be big as a house." Kenneth laughed. "No--no, Mary. It can easily go in my waistcoat pocket. But for safety's sake it won't. I don't mind letting you into my confidence. I'm to have a secret bottom made in----" Before he could complete the sentence, Helen quickly clapped her hand over his mouth, and he had not yet recovered from his astonishment when she sprang to the door and opened it. The movement was so sudden and unexpected that a man who had been leaning against it, fell all his length into the room. It was Francois, the French valet. "_Excusez_," he stammered, "I stumbled." Kenneth stared first at the servant, then at his wife. Slowly he began to comprehend. Turning to the Frenchman he demanded angrily: "What were you doing behind that door?"