g the famous case of the Kimberley mail robbery in
'83.

"That was a big haul," he said. "Twelve thousand pounds' worth of rough
diamonds!"

"Fifteen!" corrected Bernard Megger, director of a world-famed mining
syndicate.

"Oh, was it fifteen?" continued Zimmermann. "No doubt you are correct.
Were you in Africa in '83?"

"No," replied Megger; "I was in 'Frisco till the autumn of '85, but I
remember the affair. Three men were captured--one dead. The
fourth--Isaac Jacobsen--got away, and with the booty!"

"Never traced, I believe!" asked the novelist.

"Never," confirmed Megger; "neither the man nor the diamonds."

"It was a big thing, certainly," came Vignoles' voice; "but this Severac
Bablon has beaten all records in that line!"

The remark afforded his wife an opportunity, for which she had sought,
to break off the too confidential _tete-a-tete_ between Zoe and the
detective.

"Zoe," she said, "surely Mr. Pepys can tell us something about this
mysterious Severac Bablon?"

"Oh, yes!" replied Zoe. "He has been telling me! He knows quite a lot
about him!"

Now, the dinner-table topic all over London was the mystery of Severac
Bablon, and Lady Vignoles' party was not exceptional in this respect. It
had already been several times referred to, and at Miss Oppner's words
all eyes were directed towards the handsome stranger, who bore this
scrutiny with such smiling composure.

"I cannot go into particulars, Lady Vignoles," he said; "but, as you are
aware, I have a kind of official connection with the matter!"

This was beautifully mysterious, and everyone became intensely
interested.

"Of such facts as have come to light you all know as much as I, but
there is a certain theory which seems to have occurred to no one." He
paused impressively, throwing a glance around the table. "What is the
notable point in regard to the victims of Severac Bablon?"

"They are Jews--or of Jewish extraction," said Zoe Oppner promptly. "Pa
has noticed that! He's taken considerable interest since his mills were
burned in Ontario!"

"And what is the conclusion?"

"That he hates Jews!" snapped Bernard Megger hotly. "That he has a
deadly hatred of all the race!"

"You think so?" said Pepys softly, and turned his eyes upon the gross,
empurpled face of the speaker. "It has not occurred to you that he might
himself be a Jew?"

That theory was so new to them that it was received in silent
astonishment. Lady Vignoles, though her m