e its curiously
carved border it is entirely covered with writing in rude English
character. The narrowing funnel of the trough had kept it from being
crushed by the statue, which fitted into a rim running round the
interior. Beyond the buckle and the two skeletons there was nothing
in the trough; but I looked for nothing else. Here, in my hands, lay
the secret of the Great Ruby of Ceylon; my fingers clutched the
wealth of princes. My journey had ended and the riches of the earth
were in my grasp.

"Forgetful of my guides, forgetful of the flight of time, mindful of
nothing but the Golden Buckle, I sat down by the rim of the trough
and began to decipher the writing. The inscription, as far as I
could gather, ran right across the clasp. It could be read easily
enough and contained accurate directions for searching in some spot,
but where that spot was it did not reveal. It might be close to the
statue; and I was about to start up and make the attempt when I
thought again of the parchment. Pulling it from my pocket, I read:
'_ . . . beneath this stone lies the secret of the Great Ruby; and
yet not all, for the rest is graven on the Key which shall be already
entrusted to you. These precautions have I taken that none may
surprise this Secret but its right possessor. . . ._'

"Now my father's Will had expressly enjoined, on pain of his dying
curse, that this key should not be moved from its place until the
Trenoweth who went to seek the treasure should have returned and
crossed the threshold of Lantrig. Consequently the ruby was not
buried on Adam's Peak, or to return for the key would have been so
much labour wasted. Consequently, also, the Golden Buckle was
valueless to anybody but him who knew the rest of my father's
injunctions. Although not yet in my hand, the Great Ruby was mine.
I was folding up the buckle with the parchment before rejoining the
guides, when a curious thing happened.

"The sun had climbed high into heaven whilst I was absorbed in my
search, and was now flooding the little lawn with light. In my
excitement I had heard and seen nothing, nor noted that the heat was
growing unbearable beneath the vertical rays. But as I was folding
up the parchment a black shadow suddenly fell across the page.
I started and looked up.

"Above me stood Simon Colliver.

"He was standing in the broad light of the sun and watching me
intently, with a curious smile which grew as our eyes met. How long
h