"There's only one way you could have done it," said Paradine, pretending to hesitate. "It must have been done by some meddling with magic. Now what---- Let me see--yes---- Surely the Stone I brought your poor mother from India was given to me as a talisman of some sort? You can't have been sharp enough to get hold of that!" "How did you know?" cried Dick sharply. "Who told you?" "I am right, then? Well, you are a clever fellow. I should like to know how you did it, now?" "Did it with the Shtone," said Dick, evidently discomposed by such unexpected penetration, but unable to prevent a little natural complacency. "All my own idea. No one helped me. It--it washn't sho bad for me, wash it?" "Bad! it was capital!" cried Marmaduke enthusiastically. "It was a stroke of genius! And so my Indian Stone has done all this for you. Sounds like an Arabian Night, by Jove! By-the-by, you don't happen to have it about you, do you? I should rather like to look at it again. It's a real curiosity after this." Paul trembled with anxiety. Would Dick be induced to part with it? If so, he was saved! But Dick looked at his uncle's outstretched hand, and wagged his head with tipsy cunning. "I dareshay you would," he said, "but I'm not sho green as all that. Don't let that Stone out of my hands for anyone." "Why, I only wanted to look at it for a minute or two," said Marmaduke; "I wouldn't hurt it or lose it." "You won' get chance," said Dick. "Oh, very well," said Paradine carelessly, "just as you please, it doesn't matter; though when we come to talk things over a little, you may find it better to trust me more than that." "Wha' do you mean?" said Dick uneasily. "Well, I'll try to explain as well as I can, my boy (drink a little of this soda water first, it's an excellent thing after supper); there, you're better now, aren't you? Now, I've found you out, as you see; but only because I knew something of the powers of this Stone of yours, and guessed the rest. It doesn't at all follow that other people, who know nothing at all, will be as sharp; if you're more careful about your behaviour in future--unless, unless, young fellow----" and here he paused meaningly. "Unless what?" asked Dick suspiciously. "Unless I chose to tell them what I've found out." "What would you tell them?" said Dick. "What? Why, what I know of this talisman; tell them to use their eyes; they wouldn't be very long before they found out that something was wrong. And when one or two of your father's friends once get hold of the idea, your game will be very soon over--you know that as well as I do." "But," stammered Dick, "you wouldn't go and do beastly mean thing like that? I've not been bad fellow to you."