s holy calling, his studies, and flees with the
gem into a foreign country. The officer has a brother, an astute,
daring, unscrupulous man, who learns the clergyman's secret. What does
he do? Tell his brother, inform the police? No; upon this man also the
Satanic charm has fallen; he must have the stone for himself. At the
risk of murder, he drugs the young priest and seizes the prey. And now,
by an accident which is not important to my moral, the jewel passes out
of his custody into that of another, who, terrified at what he sees,
gives it into the keeping of a man in high station and above reproach.

"The officer's name is Thomas Vandeleur," continued Florizel. "The stone
is called the Rajah's Diamond. And"--suddenly opening his hand--"you
behold it here before your eyes."

The officer started back with a cry.

"We have spoken of corruption," said the Prince. "To me this nugget of
bright crystal is as loathsome as though it were crawling with the worms
of death; it is as shocking as though it were compacted out of innocent
blood. I see it here in my hand, and I know it is shining with
hell-fire. I have told you but a hundredth part of its story; what
passed in former ages, to what crimes and treacheries it incited men of
yore, the imagination trembles to conceive; for years and years it has
faithfully served the powers of hell; enough, I say, of blood, enough of
disgrace, enough of broken lives and friendships; all things come to an
end, the evil like the good; pestilence as well as beautiful music; and
as for this diamond, God forgive me if I do wrong, but its empire ends
to-night."

The Prince made a sudden movement with his hand, and the jewel,
describing an arc of light, dived with a splash into the flowing river.

"Amen," said Florizel, with gravity. "I have slain a cockatrice!"

"God pardon me!" cried the detective. "What have you done? I am a ruined
man."

"I think," returned the Prince, with a smile, "that many well-to-do
people in this city might envy you your ruin."

"Alas! your Highness!" said the officer, "and you corrupt me after all?"

"It seems there was no help for it," replied Florizel.--"And now let us
go forward to the Prefecture."

Not long after, the marriage of Francis Scrymgeour and Miss Vandeleur
was celebrated in great privacy; and the Prince acted on that occasion
as groom's man. The two Vandeleurs surprised some rumour of what had
happened to the diamond; and their vast diving o