zen. He had accepted office as a billiard-marker in a
township hotel while his whiskers grew; and now, full-bearded, dressed in
a new suit of sedate, grey tweed, wearing an excellent hat and whole
boots, he re-entered the city. His pockets were fairly-well lined, much
of the proceeds of his professional engagement under Professor Thunder
having been stored by Nickie as a provision for a long journey he was
contemplating. Nickie the Kid had mapped out for himself a
well-considered and wholly excellent scheme of life as a man of
comparative affluence, but that life must be lived under alien skies.

In the small chamois bag lurking next his heart was the talisman that was
to make an existence of comfort and good living possible to the vagabond
and outcast. The diamond is the true philosopher's stone.

Nicholas put in a few days sauntering about Melbourne, swinging a
neatly-rolled silk umbrella, smoking very excellent cigars. He passed
several frowsy acquaintances of other days, and on two he bestowed small
alms. He felt great satisfaction in the fact that none of his former
companions recognised Nickie the Kid in the well-groomed, well-dressed,
sleek, whiskered citizen.

On the third afternoon Mr. Crips entered a jeweller's shop, and placing a
small stone on the pad before the man behind the counter, said:

"Would you be so good as to tell me the value of that diamond, sir? I
picked it up on the floor of a first-class railway carriage the other
day, and having no means of testing it, I thought I might, eh, venture to
ask an expert."

The jeweller took up the stone, examined it, subjected it to a simple
test, and handed it hack to Mr. Crips:

"A good carbon, but practically valueless," he said.

Had Nicholas Crips received a blow full in the face he would not have
betrayed greater consternation. His cheeks turned grey, he gripped the
counter, all his assumed ease fell from him, he dropped every precaution,
forgot the grim necessity for care and cunning.

"It is not a diamond?" he gasped.

The jeweller shook his head. "It an awful disappointment," he said, "but
you may be sure you'll hear of it pretty quickly if you ever have the
luck to pick up a true diamond of that size."

Nicholas hadn't the spirit to thank the man. He turned into the street.
The buildings swam in a garish light, he felt his head rocking, and his
feet seemed scarcely to touch the paving stones rising and dipping under
him like a choppy sea. He