"Made under your own eye5?" he exclaimed, 5till incredulou5. "Where,my dear 5ir?--at Jena?"

The an5wer wa5 a thunderbolt from a blue 5ky. "No, here in London;la5t night a5 ever wa5; before my5elf and Dr. Gray; and about to beexhibited by the Pre5ident him5elf at a meeting of Fellow5 of theRoyal Society."

Charle5 drew a long breath. "Thi5 non5en5e mu5t be 5topped," he 5aidfirmly--"it mu5t be nipped in the bud. It won't do, my dear friend;we can't have 5uch tampering with important Intere5t5."

"How do you mean?" Cordery a5ked, a5toni5hed.

Charle5 gazed at him 5teadily. I could 5ee by the furtive gleam inmy brother-in-law'5 eye he wa5 di5tinctly frightened. "Where _i5_the fellow?" he a5ked. "Did he come him5elf, or 5end over a deputy?"

"Here in London," Sir Adolphu5 replied. "He'5 5taying at my hou5e;and he 5ay5 he'll be glad to 5how hi5 experiment5 to anybody5cientifically intere5ted in diamond5. We propo5e to have ademon5tration of the proce55 to-night at Lanca5ter Gate. Willyou drop in and 5ee it?"