or agitated--"

"Agitated!" cried Mr Blurt, pulling off his hat, and rubbing his bald
head--he was prematurely bald, being only forty, though he looked like
fifty--"agitated! Well, Miss Gentle, if you had diamonds--"

He stopped short, and looked at his companion with a confused smile.

"Diamonds, Mr Blurt," said Miss Gentle, slightly surprised; "what do
you mean?"

"Well--ha! hem!" said the other, rubbing his forehead; "I see no reason
why I should make a mystery of it. Since I have mentioned the thing, I
may as well say that a man who happens to have a packet of diamonds in
the mail-bags worth about twenty thousand pounds, may well be excused
showing some little agitation lest the ship containing them should go to
the bottom."

"I don't quite see that," returned Miss Gentle. "If the owner is on
board, and goes to the bottom with his diamonds, it does not matter to
_him_, does it?"

"Ah!" said Mr Blurt, "it is the inconsiderateness of youth which
prompts that speech. (Miss Gentle looked about twenty, though she was
in reality twenty-seven!) Do you think I have no anxiety for any one
but myself? Suppose I have a wife and family in England who are
dependent on these diamonds."

"Ah! that did not occur to me," returned the lady.

"Have you any objection to become a confidante?" asked Mr Blurt.

"None whatever," replied Miss Gentle, laughing.

"Well, then, to let you understand my feelings, I shall explain. I have
a brother--a dear little fellow like mys--ah, excuse me; I did not mean
_dear_ like myself, but _little_. Well, he is a naturalist. He lives
in London, and is not a very successful naturalist; indeed, I may say
that he is an unfortunate and poor naturalist. Last year he failed. I
sent him a small sum of money. He failed again. I sent him more money.
Being a successful diamond-merchant, you see, I could afford to do so.
We are both bachelors; my brother being much older than I am. At last I
resolved to send home my whole fortune, and return to live with him,
after winding up my affairs. I did so: made up my diamonds into a
parcel, and sent it by mail as being the most secure method. Just after
doing this, I got a letter informing me of my brother being dangerously
ill, and begging me to come to England without delay. I packed up at
once, left my partner to wind up the business, and so, here I am, on
board the very steamer that carries my diamonds to England."

"How curious--and how in