flat since the Herapath Estate was built, is
an old acquaintance--I am permitted to say, friend--of the late Jacob
Herapath. She occasionally consulted him on matters of business. On
November 12th last she consulted him on another affair--though it had, of
course, a business complexion. Mrs. Engledew, by the death of a relative,
had just come into possession of some old family jewels--chiefly diamonds.
These diamonds, which, Mrs. Engledew tells me, had been valued by Spinks at
about seven thousand pounds, were in very old, considerably worn settings.
Mrs. Engledew wished to have them reset. Knowing that Jacob Herapath had
great taste and knowledge in that direction, she saw him at his office on
the noon of November 12th, showed him the diamonds, and asked his advice.
Jacob Herapath--I am giving you Mrs. Engledew's account--told her to leave
the diamonds with him, as he was going to see, that very day, an expert in
that line, to whom he would show the stones with the idea of his giving
him his opinion on what ought to be done with them. Mrs. Engledew handed
him the diamonds in a small case, which he put in his pocket. I hope,"
added Burchill, turning to Mrs. Engledew, "that I have given all this
quite correctly?"

"Quite," assented Mrs. Engledew. "It is perfectly correct."

"Then," continued Burchill, "we pass on to Mr. Dimambro. Mr. Luigi Dimambro
is a dealer in precious stones, who resides in Genoa, but travels widely
about Europe in pursuance of his business. Mr. Dimambro had had several
dealings with Jacob Herapath during past years, but previous to November
12th last they had not met for something like twelve months. On their last
previous meeting Jacob Herapath told Mr. Dimambro that he was collecting
pearls of a certain sort and size--specimens of which he showed him--with a
view to presenting his niece, Miss Wynne, with a necklace which was to be
formed of them. He gave Dimambro a commission to collect such pearls for
him. On November 11th last Dimambro arrived in London from the Continent,
and wrote to Mr. Herapath to tell him of his arrival, and to notify him
that he had brought with him some pearls of the sort he wanted. Mr.
Herapath thereupon made an appointment with Dimambro at the House of
Commons on the evening of November 12th at half-past ten o'clock. Dimambro
kept that appointment, showed Mr. Herapath the pearls which he had brought,
sold them to him, and received from him, in payment for them, a cheque