completely left it, his eyes were half
starting from his head. He peered close, and suddenly, without the
slightest warning, stretched out his hand, and touched the diamonds as
they glittered round Lady Ridsdale's wrist. She started back haughtily,
then, recovering herself, took the bracelet off and put it into his
hand.

"Charlie tells me," she said, "that this bracelet is worth from fifteen
to twenty thousand pounds."

"You must take care of it," remarked Vyner; "don't let your maid see it,
for instance."

"Oh, nonsense!" laughed Lady Ridsdale. "I would trust Louise as I would
trust myself."

Soon afterwards we separated, and I went down to my little cabin to
prepare for dinner. When we met in the dining saloon I noticed that Lady
Ridsdale was wearing the diamond bracelet. Almost immediately after
dinner the band came on board and the dancing began.

We kept up our festivities until two o'clock, and more than once, as she
flashed past me, I could not help noticing the glittering circlet round
her wrist. I considered myself a fair judge of precious stones, but had
never seen any diamonds for size and brilliancy to equal these.

As Vyner and I happened to stand apart from the others he remarked upon
them.

"It was imprudent of Ridsdale to bring those diamonds here," he said.
"Suppose they are stolen?"

"Scarcely likely," I answered; "there are no thieves on board."

He gave an impatient movement.

"As far as we _know_ there are not," he said slowly, "but one can never
tell. The diamonds are of exceptional value, and it is not safe to
expose ordinary folk to temptation. That small circlet means a fortune."

He sighed deeply, and when I spoke to him next did not answer me. Not
long afterwards our gay party dispersed, and we retired to our
respective cabins.

I went to mine and was quickly in bed. As a newly-arrived guest I was
given a cabin on board, but several other members of the party were
sleeping in tents on the shore. Vyner and Lord Ridsdale were amongst
the latter number. Whether it was the narrowness of my bunk or the heat
of the night, I cannot tell, but sleep I could not. Suddenly through my
open window I heard voices from the shore near by. I could identify the
speakers by their tones--one was my host, Lord Ridsdale, the other Ralph
Vyner. Whatever formed the subject of discourse it was evidently far
from amicable. However much averse I might feel to the situation, I was
compelled to be an unwi