You will hear me more distinctly as we shorten the
distance between you and ourselves. By the way, have you met with any
luck yet in your search for rubies?"

"Yes," answered Sir Reginald. "During these experiments of yours I have
been lying down on the beach, turning over the pebbles within reach, and
have found two rather fine stones that look like rubies. You will be
able to say whether they are or no when you see them."

"Which will be within the hour," answered the professor; "for we are now
about to return to you at full speed. Many thanks, my friend, for
giving so much time to my experiment. I need not now trouble you any
further; so get to work in earnest, and see how many more rubies you can
find by the time that we arrive."

It was exactly fifty-five minutes later that the _Flying Fish_, still at
a height of ten thousand feet above the sea-level, arrived over the
beach where the rest of the party were seen wandering slowly hither and
thither, and gently settled down in their midst.

"Well, my friends, what luck, so far?" demanded the professor, as he and
Mildmay emerged from the ship's diving-chamber, and joined Sir Reginald
and Lady Olivia on the beach.

"That is for you to say," answered Sir Reginald, with a laugh. "I have
found another likely looking stone since I last spoke to you; and Lady
Olivia, here, has a whole pocketful, but most of them, I am afraid, are
rather more than doubtful."

"May I be permitted to see them?" asked von Schalckenberg, holding out
his hand, with a smile.

"Of course," answered Lady Olivia, detaching from her belt the little
leather bag in which she usually carried her handkerchief, scent-bottle,
and other odds and ends. "_I_ think that several of them are quite
good; but my husband declares that they are not worth the trouble of
picking up."

"And he is quite right, so far as this one, at least, is concerned,"
remarked the professor, as he drew forth a stone and held it up to the
light for a moment. "This also," as he drew forth a second, looked at
it, and threw it away. "Ah!" he exclaimed, as he produced a third,
"this looks more promising."

He examined the stone very carefully--it was about the size of a
plover's egg--and presently said, as he handed it back--

"My dear lady, permit me to congratulate you. You have been fortunate
enough to secure an exceptionally magnificent stone, without doubt. It
is, of course, somewhat difficult to judge of the pr