looking depressed as he was marched
away.

"Almost a pity you didn't back your opinion heavily, Mr Anson, eh?"
added the official.

"Well, I am deceived," said Anson, wrinkling up his forehead. "Who'd
ever have thought of that?"

"The Kaffirs, seemingly," said Ingleborough coolly? and he smiled in
Anson's disconsolate face.

"But it's wicked," cried Anson, "downright wicked for a man to cut
himself like that for the sake of a bit of glittering glass. I say,
mustn't it hurt very much?"

"Can't say," said West merrily. "Try!"

"What, me?" cried Anson, looking startled and involuntarily thrusting
his hands down to touch the parts in question. "Oh no! It's horrible
what people will do for the sake of gain."

"Quite sure you wouldn't like to try, Mr Anson?" said the searcher.
"I'll do it for you if you like. Only wants a very sharp knife and a
good hard pinch to numb the muscle; then it's done in a few minutes--one
good cut, the stone pressed in, and the cold surface makes the skin
contract."

Anson's face seemed to curdle up, and two creases formed, one round each
corner of his mouth, as if putting it between parentheses, as he shook
his head.

"Look here," he said, "what's the good of bantering so? Are you going
to search any more men?"

"No," said the official; "that's the lot."

"But are you going to punish them?"

"Oh yes! They'll have to take their dose for it, sir; you may be sure
of that. We're going to be more and more severe over this
illicit-diamond-dealing."

"Are you?" said Anson innocently.

"We just are. It'll be a shooting matter soon if it can't be stopped
otherwise."

"How horrid!" said Anson. "But I say, these men don't deal illicitly,
do they?"

"They wouldn't if a set of scoundrels did not set them on to steal, so
that they could buy of the poor ignorant savages, giving them shillings
for what they sell for pounds."

"How sad it seems!" said Anson thoughtfully.

"And how innocent you seem!" said West, laughing.

"Yes, it's charming," cried Ingleborough. "Why, you know all about it."

"I?" cried Anson. "Oh, of course I know something about it. I've heard
of the illicit-diamond-dealing, and read about it; but it has all gone
in at one ear and out at the other. You see, I devote so much time to
music. That and my work at the office keep me from taking much notice
of other things. Politics, for instance, and the rumours of war. Do
you think it at all likely that