he lightly felt it round the edges with fingers engrained
with corundum. "I could open it in one instant, but the enamel might
fly. Will you risk it?"

The Major looked at me, and I said, "Oh no; please not to risk any
thing, if any slower process will do it without risk. We want it done
without injury."

"Then it will cost a good bit," he replied. "I can open it for five
shillings, if you run the risk; if that rests with me, I must charge
five pounds."

"Say three," cried the Major. "Well, then, say four guineas: I have a
lot of work in store for you."

"I never overcharge, and I never depart from my figures," the lapidary
answered. "There is only one other man in London who knows the secret of
this enamel, and he is my brother. They never make such enamel now. The
art is lost, like that of the French paste of a hundred years ago,
which almost puzzles even me until I go behind it. I will give you
my brother's address if you like; but instead of five pounds, he will
charge you ten guineas--if it must be done in private. Without that
condition, I can do it for two pounds. You wish to know why that should
make such a difference. Well, for this simple reason: to make sure of
the job, it must be done by daylight; it can be done only in my chief
work-room; if no one is to see what I am about (and my men have sharp
eyes, I can tell you), all my hands must be sacked for the afternoon,
but not without their wages. That alone would go far toward the
difference, and then there is the dropping of the jobs in hand, and
waste of power, and so on. I have asked you too little, Major Hockin, I
assure you; but having said, I will stick to it, although I would much
rather you would let me off."

"I have known you for many years," the Major answered--"ever since you
were a boy, with a flat box, working at our Cornish opals. You would
have done a lot of work for five pounds then. But I never knew you
overcharge for any thing. We agree to your terms, and are obliged to
you. But you guarantee no damage?"

"I will open this locket, take out its contents, whatever they may be,
and reclose it so that the maker, if still alive--which is not very
probable--should not know that it had been meddled with."

"Very well; that is exactly what we want; for I have an idea about it
which I may try to go on with afterward. And for that it is essential to
have no symptom that it ever has been opened. What are these brilliants
worth, Mr. Handkin?"