ol, and passing
his hand through an orifice at the back of the skull, took the Diamond
out of its resting-place, close behind the hole in the forehead, through
which it was seen from the front. With thumb and forefinger he took it
daintily out, and going back to Ducie dropped it into the outstretched
palm of the latter.

Ducie turned the Diamond over and over, and held it up before the light
between his forefinger and thumb, and tried the weight of it on his
palm. It was in the simple form of a table diamond, with only sixteen
facets in all, and was just as it had left the fingers of some Indian
cutter, who could say how many centuries ago! It glowed with a green
fire, deep, yet tender, that flashed through its facets and smote the
duller lamplight with sparkles of intense brilliancy. This, then, was
the wondrous gem which for reign after reign was said to have been
regarded as their choicest possession by the great lords of Hyderabad.
Ducie seemed to be examining it most closely; but, in truth, at that
very moment he was debating in his own mind the terrible question of
murder or no murder, and scarcely saw the stone itself at all.

"Ami, you do not seem to admire my Diamond!" said the Russian presently,
with a touch of pathos in his voice.

Ducie pressed the Diamond back into Platzoff's hands. "I admire it so
much," said he, "that I cannot enter into any commonplace terms of
admiration. I will talk to you to-morrow respecting it. At present I
lack fitting words."

The Russian took back the stone, pressed it to his lips, and then went
and replaced it in the forehead of the idol.

"Who is your friend there?" said Ducie, with a desperate attempt to
wrench his thoughts away from that all-absorbing temptation.

"I am not sufficiently learned in Hindu mythology to tell you his name
with certainty," answered Platzoff. "I take him to be no less a
personage than Vishnu. He is seated upon the folds of the snake Jesha,
whose seven heads bend over him to afford him shade. In one hand he
holds a spray of the sacred lotus. He is certainly hideous enough to be
a very great personage. Do you know, my dear Ducie," went on Platzoff,
"I have a very curious theory with regard to that Hindu gentleman,
whoever he may be. Many years ago he was worshipped in some great
Eastern temple, and had priests and acolytes without number to attend to
his wants; and then, as now, the great Diamond shone in his forehead. By
some mischance the Dia