oke of genius! And so my Indian Stone has done all this for you.
Sounds like an Arabian Night, by Jove! By-the-by, you don't happen to
have it about you, do you? I should rather like to look at it again.
It's a real curiosity after this."

Paul trembled with anxiety. Would Dick be induced to part with it? If
so, he was saved! But Dick looked at his uncle's outstretched hand, and
wagged his head with tipsy cunning.

"I dareshay you would," he said, "but I'm not sho green as all that.
Don't let that Stone out of my hands for anyone."

"Why, I only wanted to look at it for a minute or two," said Marmaduke;
"I wouldn't hurt it or lose it."

"You won' get chance," said Dick.

"Oh, very well," said Paradine carelessly, "just as you please, it
doesn't matter; though when we come to talk things over a little, you
may find it better to trust me more than that."

"Wha' do you mean?" said Dick uneasily.

"Well, I'll try to explain as well as I can, my boy (drink a little of
this soda water first, it's an excellent thing after supper); there,
you're better now, aren't you? Now, I've found you out, as you see; but
only because I knew something of the powers of this Stone of yours, and
guessed the rest. It doesn't at all follow that other people, who know
nothing at all, will be as sharp; if you're more careful about your
behaviour in future--unless, unless, young fellow----" and here he
paused meaningly.

"Unless what?" asked Dick suspiciously.

"Unless I chose to tell them what I've found out."

"What would you tell them?" said Dick.

"What? Why, what I know of this talisman; tell them to use their eyes;
they wouldn't be very long before they found out that something was
wrong. And when one or two of your father's friends once get hold of the
idea, your game will be very soon over--you know that as well as I do."

"But," stammered Dick, "you wouldn't go and do beastly mean thing like
that? I've not been bad fellow to you."

"The meanness, my dear boy, depends entirely upon the view you take of
it. Now, the question with me, as a man of honour (and I may tell you an
over-nice sense of honour has been a drawback I've had to struggle
against all my life), the question with me is this: Is it not my plain
duty to step in and put a stop to this topsy-turvy state of things, to
show you up as the barefaced young impostor you are, and restore my
unhappy brother-in-law to his proper position?"

"Very well expressed," thought