ey conducted
themselves towards each other as if no such conversation as that I have
described had taken place between them on the previous night. At the
allotted hour they crossed the bay to the city and made their way to
their respective places of business, parting at the same street corner,
and with the usual commonplace farewell.

That week, on the other side of the globe, I received information that
Max was alive, and that Rio de Janeiro was the name of his hiding-place.

CHAPTER X.

A few days later Max was walking along the Rua d'Ouvidor, when he heard
his name called. Turning round, he found himself, much to his surprise,
confronted by Moreas, the man who had accompanied him from England.

"This is well met, indeed," cried the latter, holding out his hand with
great cordiality. "You are just the man, of all others, I wanted to see.
I was only wondering this morning whether you were still in Brazil, and,
if so, where I could find you. Your residence south of the Equator does
not seem to have done much harm to your appearance."

Max replied that he thought, on the contrary, it had done him a large
amount of good, and, having offered the country this justice, he was
prepared to utter a few commonplaces, and then to pass on his way along
the street. This, however, was not at all what Moreas desired or
intended should happen. He explained at some length that he had only
arrived in Rio that morning, and that he was going on to Buenos Ayres in
the afternoon.

"In the interval you and I must have a chat," he said. "There is
something I want to talk to you about. But that I have had a proper look
at you, I had perhaps better not mention it. You seem to be prosperous.
Had you been hard up, I was going to propose that you should join me in
a little piece of business, which may prove to be worth nothing at all,
or, on the other hand, may mean a gigantic fortune for both of us."

"You allow a good margin," said Max. "If I were allowed a preference, I
should declare for the million. And pray what is this business?"

"Diamonds," answered Moreas quietly, as leaning across the table and
clasping his hands together. "Diamonds such as you have never dreamed
of. With the information I have received I tell you I am able to put my
hand on the biggest diamond mine on the face of the habitable globe. How
I obtained the information doesn't matter just now. I'll tell you about
it another day. It is sufficient for the pres