CHAPTER XV.
THE DIAMOND.
Captain Ducie had been six weeks at Bon Repos; his visit would come to a
close in the course of three or four days, but he was still as ignorant
of the hiding-place of the Diamond as on that evening when he learned
for the first time that M. Platzoff had such a treasure in his
possession.
Since the completion of his translation of the stolen MS. he had dreamed
day and night of the Diamond. It was said to be worth a hundred and
fifty thousand pounds. If he could only succeed in appropriating it,
what a different life would be his in time to come! In such a case, he
would of course be obliged to leave England for ever. But he was quite
prepared to do that. He was without any tie of kindred or friendship
that need bind him to his native land. Once safe in another hemisphere,
he would dispose of the Diamond, and the proceeds would enable him to
live as a gentleman ought to live for the remainder of his days. Truly,
a pleasant dream.
But it was only a dream after all, as he himself in his cooler moments
was quite ready to acknowledge. It was nothing but a dream even when
Platzoff wrung from him an unreluctant consent to extend his visit at
Bon Repos for another six weeks.
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