hich the candlelight was
striking every colour of the rainbow. He made a shrewd estimate of its
price, and shook his black head. He had quite recovered from the shock
of Sir Walter's question.

"Not half as much," he confessed, with impudence.

"Then you might find it more remunerative to serve me," said the knight.
"This jewel is to be earned."

The agent's eyes flickered; he passed his tongue over his lips. "As
how?" quoth he.

"Briefly thus: I have but learnt of the trammel in which I am taken. I
must have time to concert my measures of escape, and time is almost at
an end. You are skilled in drugs, so my kinsman tells me. Can you so
drug me as to deceive physicians that I am in extremis?"

Manourie considered awhile.

"I... I think I could," he answered presently.

"And keep faith with me in this, at the price of, say.. two such
stones?"

The venal knave gasped in amazement. This was not generosity; it was
prodigality. He recovered again, and swore himself Sir Walter's.

"About it, then." Sir Walter rolled the gem across the board into the
clutch of the spy, which pounced to meet it. "Keep that in earnest. The
other will follow when we have cozened them."

Next morning Sir Walter could not resume the journey. When Cotterell
went to dress him he found his master taken with vomits, and reeling
like a drunkard. The valet ran to fetch Sir Lewis, and when they
returned together they found Sir Walter on all fours gnawing the rushes
on the floor, his face livid and horribly distorted, his brow glistening
with sweat.

Stukeley, in alarm, ordered Cotterell to get his master back to bed
and to foment him, which was done. But on the next day there was no
improvement, and on the third things were in far more serious case.
The skin of his brow and arms and breast was inflamed, and covered with
horrible purple blotches--the result of an otherwise harmless ointment
with which the French empiric had supplied him.

When Stukeley beheld him thus disfigured, and lying apparently inert
and but half-conscious upon his bed, he backed away in terror. The
Vice-Admiral had seen afore-time the horrible manifestations of the
plague, and could not be mistaken here. He fled from the infected air
of his kinsman's chamber, and summoned what physicians were available
to pronounce and prescribe. The physicians came--three in number--but
manifested no eagerness to approach the patient closely. The mere sight
of him was enough to lead