Faraday did not smile. It seemed to me that he was very much in earnest. "I will undertake to refrain from any extempore performance," he said. "As a matter of fact, your Grace, there are limitations to my magic." The Duke turned away. He seemed rather to resent the other's persistence. "Another time, perhaps," he promised, a little coldly. "My party to-night is made up." Faraday was standing a little in the shadows and I watched him eagerly. From that moment our mission to Lorringham Castle seemed to become clearer to me. An hour or so later, our host led a small company of us to the treasure chamber. We paused outside a green baize door leading into one of the galleries, which was guarded by a servant in the livery of the house. The Duke, with a word of apology, took off his coat and rolled up his shirt sleeves, disclosing a plain platinum band around his arm. "This is an American idea," he explained. He touched a spring in the band, one side opened and disclosed a key, attached to a thin chain of platinum wire. With this he unlocked the door of a small chamber, brilliantly lit. One side of the room seemed to be composed, up to the height of about six feet, of solid steel shutters. The Duke fitted the other end of the key into a concealed crevice. There was a little click, and the whole of the shutters rolled back. From behind windows of solid plate-glass, on a background of black velvet, were displayed the famous tiaras, rows of marvellous pearls, some of them as large as marbles and pink as sea coral, and a further collection of magnificent jewellery. There seemed to be an almost universal gasp of astonishment. The women of the party especially were speechless. [Illustration: There seemed to be an almost universal gasp of astonishment. _Page_ 216.] "We keep them like this instead of in coffers," the Duke explained, "so that they can be shown without being handled." "Supposing you wanted to get at them?" some one asked. "There is a secret spring," he replied, "which releases these windows. You should look at the diamonds in that Queen Anne tiara, Lady Mordaunt," he added, turning to one of his guests. "The greatest diamond expert in the world, who was here last year, declared that he had never seen stones to match those in his life." We gazed, we admired, we marvelled. In a few minutes the show was over, the doors locked, the key back in its wonderful hiding place, and the Duke's coat once more hanging from his shapely shoulders. "I don't wear this platinum affair except when I am down here," he told us. "The rest of the time I leave it at my banker's. Tell me what you are thinking about, Miss Mindel?" he asked, turning to her with a smile. Rose answered him frankly. "I was wondering why you wouldn't let Mr. Faraday come with us." The Duke frowned slightly.