is list, and together they pored over the names,
crossing out such as were absolutely above suspicion. When they had
reached the end of the list, but two names remained uncrossed. One
was that of a rattle-pated youth who had come in the wake of a highly
reputed connection of theirs, and the other that of an American tourist
who gave all the evidences of great wealth and had presented letters
to leading men in London which had insured him attentions not usually
accorded to foreigners. This man's name was Fairbrother, and, the moment
Mr. Grey heard it, he recalled the fact that an American with a peculiar
name, but with a reputation for wealth, had been among his guests on the
suspected evening.

Hiding the effect produced upon him by this discovery, he placed
his finger on this name and begged his cousin to look up its owner's
antecedents and present reputation in America; but, not content with
this, he sent his own agent over to New York--whither, as he soon
learned, this gentleman had returned. The result was an apparent
vindication of the suspected American. He was found to be a well-known
citizen of the great metropolis, moving in the highest circles and with
a reputation for wealth won by an extraordinary business instinct.

To be sure, he had not always enjoyed these distinctions. Like many
another self-made man, he had risen from a menial position in a Western
mining camp, to be the owner of a mine himself, and so up through the
various gradations of a successful life to a position among the foremost
business men of New York. In all these changes he had maintained a
name for honest, if not generous, dealing. He lived in great style, had
married and was known to have but one extravagant fancy. This was for
the unique and curious in art,--a taste which, if report spoke true,
cost him many thousands each year.

This last was the only clause in the report which pointed in any way
toward this man being the possible abstractor of the Great Mogul, as Mr.
Grey's famous diamond was called, and the latter was too just a man and
too much of a fancier in this line himself to let a fact of this kind
weigh against the favorable nature of the rest. So he recalled his
agent, double-locked his cabinets and continued to confine his display
of valuables to articles which did not suggest jewels. Thus three years
passed, when one day he heard mention made of a wonderful diamond which
had been seen in New York. From its description h