THE TEMPLE TREASURE

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 101, 30 April 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE TEMPLE TREASURE

A Tale of India New York

v .v ■■.:: J., :' , ; ; {BY W. A STILES.

".-„- -*, ■- .CHATTER LI. ,: • , • .';,, __ THE /EXPLANATION. ■'','■ Calligan O'Rourke settled down in his chair with a listless expression on his face. He was beginning- to feeithe ennui of an old theme, with which lie,/believed he Avas nearly through.; He took out from his pocket the papers that he and Nahrs had extricated from Jashi Lerni's box. 'Doane, I remember hearing you !': t S ay something about my abilities as • : a "detective. It wasn't complimen- , j . tary/l recall. , A kind of slur, I beV -'.-' -.lieve it was. "Now I Avant you to retract or take the consequences.' ■ .'Certainly, I don't remember, but I ■ retract. Always ready to take'back anything that I don't know anything :- vaboiit. ' ; /';-. 'Magnanimous! But this is a fit oc- , casion for all kinds of repentance and 'atonements on your part. I have some aclventiires to boast. Told youI'would have. Doane, I have found 1 out all about it.' ; v 'Write a book, O'Rourke. Only the . fellows that know it all ever feel com- ., petent to do that. What is the news? ' .-"'./-pound jout what?' • .;V; 'I, think I'll tantalise you a little, you incredulous sceptic!* Mr Nahrs, here, whom you have.met before; was i- with me when we found thes^-papers, ;; They will sirnpjy give ymr'tlie paralysis. Please pass this one, and let him *■: .. read it, Nahrs.' Nahrs gravely took the writing in Hindostanee that had been found in ■ the box, and passed it to Doane. The .latter looked at it wrong- side up, also .with a comically grave face, and • without showing the least sign of. : being- paralysed. The truth was that :,.-. /though he could-talk some with Hin- ,{• rioos, he had never read any Indian pen writing-. ■'[-.. '■■> 'I see; it is a secret cypher of the : Pategoniau Prime Minister.' I read it easily.' I 'Ah! Read it aloud, if yOu please.' 'I shall'be pleased to after you tell me what it is and where you gotit. " 'Some dark and 'deadly conspiracy, : -iv:: without question.' ;;- • . *| 'If you ever-were humble enough to confess when jrou are beaten ifr ; would be more satisfactorj^. But Mr Nahrs may read the paper. Before ■'■ he begins I may say that with the ■:' 'aid of Mr Vivi Pratka, an old acquaintance and friend of yours, it t- was recovered a few nights since ■ ; from the strong box of Jashi Lerni. '= It concerns you. . ma ;■'• 'You astonish me. Jashi Lerni was * " the man whom the Hindoos murderBr: c d,' ■-■ -:"' ♦'Exactly. Tha'fc is why;l was; after j H . the HindoQS —partly. , I have kept you posted about their movements. But Mr Nahrs will read and trans- *; late the paper.' ' 'It is a narrative written by Jashi Lerni several years ago,' prefaced Mr Nahrs. 'It was written iv India.' 'And when it is finished I have another in English more interesting M yet, and which you will more appre>f' ciate,...even -than 4his 0ne } '. added 6'lv6xirke. ' -•■••••••-.•-• \&i 'The title over the first page reads," went on Nahrs, 'The account- of the three caskets of Siva's precious stones.'' -'■ '■ ■■ '■ ■'■' j 'Three caskets! What does this mean?' exclaims Doane. - : , i!»' 'Listen, and you will see, answered O'Rourke, delighted at the seusa- , tion he Avas producing. I ' Nahrs then translated the paper, : which read as follows:— i- JASHI LERNI'S NARRATIVE. 'I, Jashi Lerni, being conscious that we all must pass into sleep before our i next incarnation, and being a faithful : ■ .devotee at the sacred Ganges, where I bathe three times each: day, and . fast.at every full moon with my face toward the lofty mountains of theeast, I, being a just man and fear- ;; ing nothing so much, as to, tell cA ren the least-.shadow of falsehood, do ■: ; swear, on the oath of a good man, tliat what: I shall write in this writs' :: -ing is true, all and every part. If it shall ever, come into the hands of: the soa, or daughter,1- or cousin, or nephew of Captain Larrimore Doane, :for- , merly of the British service, who :-. . fought with his company ■ near Lucknow, then may the man into whose hands this shall come cause that my dust be burned at sunrise under an ;: oak tree, and. the ashes scattered on | ; the sacred waters of the Ganges. i«« , ; 'In the Strong box where this writ- : ing will be' found, and which I will ? v guard until Brahm and Siva speak; to- < !; gether, I have also concealed the first ;\ \ casket of the treasure of' Siva.: Let I i tie curse of old Shing fall on him, I *. whosoever he may be, that shall dare | | to disturb this treasure; until; I have f ? found the other great'diamonds. I % 'This is the history of the three |-7 caskets: •.' ■. ■; , ■■■ -' ,• . • 'One k of them is mijie, .one ibejpng-ed v f:- to old .Shirig,-and the .thirc] was: oyvn-. }■ |: ?d bv'lmtash, the fakir an/d'"'priest !■ \) who dwelt in a hole under the temple ;!: I of Siya. -•: •.. ■ j 'In -myjyouth-I was so-eviltminded ;' that I fell into the company of Selikh, | the brigand., and became one of his most confidential and trusted dis- ! ciples. But I. had been educated by Imy father, a priest, to be also' a :.? |. priest. It was not the will of Brahm. j;; It was my fortune to be left, when „ my father passed to Nirvana, with i-'| ■ much wealth, which tempted the avaji, |. rice -of^my companions so much that 1';..! |',| r.^everalrturiesr.l was robbed. At last, | I -witn: ;O la Shing and Imtash, an oath -■m was sworn together, and we three I agreed, each with the other, to build I a "lcl iDg place where no one could I rob us of the riches we were gather- ■ i v ing together. Under the old temple I | we caused to be excavated, below' the § I vault, where for many incarnations ' I ;* : lias--stood the great' god Siva, who' A -£ rf L deS °Ver the temPle and metes 9 out destruction to mortal men, a secI ontl and lower chamber.which we did ■ - w secret by the work: of slaves, who |j were deprived of,, their tongues as M Mon as their work was finished, that ffl Ir y*? ght not betray the secrets of ■ l wff ree Pillars- For be it known ■Ml- k5 se three pillars were erected 1 t S ef, ore the face of Siva, and at equal i ! ; ''^^ces from each other, and all ex-. "fl i' t \ allke' aud under the base of M t,' in a large pumice-stone, was B1 . ™llcJf also a cavity large enough for '1 '■ r ,treasure which we wished to hide. m < U -i-f e> under tne right-hand pilM f wu' v • I Place a casket of gems, m ) JJiich.:was all the wealth I had gathM i'- fai- n like man"cv dM Imtash, the 'ils-wv, ancl Priest, hide his treasure, '' a V was not more than tfle tithe of 1V- h P eat wealth> nevertheless, under il- j|a^.,?ase of the pillar that stood next. '■{ Sunder the left-hand pillar was

the casket of gems purchased, as ours had also been, from year to year; from the merchants who travel north and-south through the passes of thegreat mountains. We did make these three pillars so that ..the secret of ! mine: was known but .to .me alone, I and the,;,secrets of the others were known only to them severally. , Thus, 1 could reach the cavity under the pillar which was at the right hand, but to reach the treasure of oldShing and.of Imtash. I knew not how. But in order that the treasure might farther be safe, as I have before written, we did make the. vault below the Siva chamber, and Whenever we should see fit, by striking the pillar in a certain way, it or any of them, could be made to disappear, and could theuce be found only by those who knew the concealed way to the lower vault. Thus for years' did out: treasure rest safely •in the vaults of j Siva.' "■ ■. . ; 'But by some indiscretion or vil-: lainy, I know Dot how, the hiding place of the treasure became known ■to a priest, whose name was Ranioi, who became a renegade to the vile and accursed 'faith of Buddha. He escaped with: the treasure of old Shing-, but, being.pursued, he was obliged to abandon it, and it was restored; and soon after the .priest was punished with death: by the request of r^Shiiig. He ■ .was, deserving of .his ' fate,'and he will be no more than a snake' when his next incarnation shall begin.; But I was warned by this circumstance that even my companions eouldsjhot be trusted to keep the secrets ofr the three pillars. I' therefore ; determined toescape from them all,- before Iwas robbed,- as old Shing had been. 'About this-time I heard that Nana Sahib was preparing to drive out the English from our land., The Brahmans and the Mohammedans had come together *and on a certain day the blow would fall. In the midst of this war, the Sahapis (Sepoys or soldiers) were driven back by some Englishmen, who came upon them in great mirnbers, and retreated toward the old temple. Fearing that the temple would be robbed by them, I resolved to save my casket at once. Therefore at night I crept into the vault where the great god stands, and was-about to seize my gems and bear them away from the unsafe place, when there came into the chamber a man with a torch, stealing along as if fearing to be seen. I thought I would slay him,'but to my astonishment, he went straight to the pillar under which my treasure rested, and pulled upon the serpent's head until the cavity was exposed, for in that way might it be opened. He then took all my wealth and bore it away. He was very nigh to death then, for I had in my hand the dagger that I always carried. But I was gratified that he paused just outside the wall of the temple, where I had followed him, being, afraid, I believe, to earn/ the casket away, because the sahapis of both the aVmies were all about the temple. He therefore buried it by the temple wall and hurried away." '1 recovered the treasure and stole away with it. I would have escaped very well to the great mountains had it not been for an accident. As I climbed across the south slope of the hill near the temple, in the very dark night, I fell into a well. It was a hundred measures deep, and had I fallen to the bottom I should have heard the voice of Siva. But catching- with my hands, the casket rolling away en the brink, .. I' held myself there, being- able neither to get up nor' down. L*l' now palled aloud in my terror, and implored the aid of Bralim. I was growing weak after a long time, and about to release myself and fall to the bottom, when voices answered me from the distance. Very soon two men came to the place, and lifted me out of the well. .1 was more dead than alive, and offered the gentlemen half my diamonds and other gems as a reward for saving me. : But Englishmen were ever very absurd, and not a stone would they take, and advised me to get out of th;e country with my gems before I fell in with worse company. Then one of the men who had been first at the well told me hisname. It was Larrimore Doane, and he was the captain of the company that was camped below the hill. Therefore, because I was very grateful, did I remember that name as aman remembers his escape from a tiger in the jungle. For I did tremble all night with the weakness of the adventure. But I took the sound advice of the Englishman, and. made my way to the south as fast as I could. I should now have bf.en happy if I had not learned a few years afterward that old Sitinghad written on the walls of the temple a curse against me. for dividiug the diamonds. For in each of the caskets was a great diamond. The three stones were mined and poished by Begum, the lapidary, who lived .long years beforehand was the richest person in the whole Punjaub. They were all alike, and each had a flaw' that injured it in the market. These stones were owned in common and either of us might purchase the other two at" ,a- certain price. But when I -heard .of the curse I would have carried back the stone had I not learned that old Shing- and Imtash had both finished their incarnation, and fallen aplpep until Brah.m shall call them. - The.:-caskets. ...had "been robbed away by the English, and nothing remained forme but to begin a search for the other diamonds, that I.;inight not suffer.irom.the.curse of old Shing. ■■:- ~ 'But- I had in my heart a remembrance, for the Englishman who had saved my life. I. therefore have resolved to go to England and reward him for that deed.:• For am,l not.a good man, who feai-s ingratitude? And if I find him not, then .wilL.I make for him: a will, and give to him or to his children, whenever they may be found, the casket and the treasure. Perchance I • may find the other diamonds before my dust is cast upon the. Ganges.' • In dead silence the lawyer sat and listened to this most extraordinary tale. For some moments after Nahrs had finished not a word was spoken. 'Well,' at length began O'Rourke, 'what do you think now about my philosophy of the unexpected, you 1 unbeliever?'. | 'It does indeed surpass belief. And do you mean that the casket—one of ' the caskets —was in the strong box? j O'Rourke, I will recant, and avow my faith in. any kind of a story you choose henceforth to tell me if this is ! true.' '■■■■ -.■ :';' ■' I The casket is in the vaults of the j Metropolitan Bank. You shall see it ' with your own eyes whenever you J choose to go along- with me.' Cl cannot doubt that the matter is as you say. Tell me all the adven-. \ ture. How did you come to it?' O'Rourke briefly related the- occurrences of the night in Jashi Lerni's cellar. - . ' \ - (*The reader will recognise'in this man the merchant Eesnub Akhban.)

.'But the will, show him the will, Nahrs. He is a better judge of those thing-si than "of the State papers'of the Patagoniaus. 5' ■ Doane laughed,,.and declared that he would have read the other paper, but for not ~ wishing- to humiliate O'Rourke. v ';-; , ; 'j Nahrs gave him the will: It- was a curious document, though drawn' in New York, and in due. legal form. The witnesses were persons . with English.name's, and the attorney was found in Doane's directory of the profession. It contained a part of tlie narrative that had just been reajl, and an unnecessary ampimt of verbiage about the sacred Ganges, and the incarnations, and other stuff that has been recently so fascinating to various classes of people. But the will was pronounced sufficient by Doane. 'If he owned the geihs; then they are mine. I am the ■•, only legal heir of Captain "Doane.:! I wonder if I own the other casket that Hershi Righ has? It strikes me there as something fatal about this. My father, if, Roger Castlet'on - was my father, found I one of -yiese caskets, and*another one is willed-to me through my fosterfather. Where, I wonder, is the ! third?' '-'».- . J 'Oh, you are evidently lucky. That, :> too, v/illbe likely to come to you if you wait. Everything goes by threes..' . '.■Mr Dv Page may be able to,answer the question. "But I admi.®"'"1 that I slandered a ■ very * skilful detective when I scouted tit yotir philosophical theory of the unexpected. I am willing to do penance, however you decree, O'Rourke. Is it sackcloth?' . The safe arrival of the travellers, accompanied by Julia and the genuine Mrs Ilaby Allen, wa's the occasion of appropriate rejoicing with Paula and Mamma .Ordway. I will not attempt to tell how Dv Page enjoyed his reception, nor what was1 the manner of it. Paula was not quite as coquettish, however, as she had'been when she drove him away on this long adventure, and I wilt assure the reader, that he" had no'fault to find with the,'cordiality' of. his welcome home. As for Julia, when she really was called upon to face the question of meeting Ordway's family, she was* thrown into a flutter, and declared that she would never go to the house until Ordway bought her as many 'American new dresses as1 his sister hacL She thought it a matter of course that Ordway was to provide 'for these necessary things, since ••he ■had brought her all the way home with him. She had come before this to understand that Oi'dway was not highly pleased with such demonstrations as embarrassed him before others, and, though she thought it, very foolish that he should be so chickenish, as she phrased it, she accepted Mrs Allen's statement that it was by no means the way with cultured ■ Americans, and learned her lesson with as good grace as she could assume. The voyage had been very well improved by Julia, since Ordway had primed Mrs Allen, and she in turn had enlightened Julia about a good many little American expectations as to the behaviour of young ladies. .Julia thought most 6f them very-superficial and absurd, but it was always sufficient to remind her that Ordway wished her to practice this or that article in the code of decorum, as , understood in polite American circles.- She was untamable by any other influence, b,ut-Ord-way's desires were like the laws of the Omnipotent to this charming wildbird, who would have leaped overboard, or climbed the-mast, if he had told her to. Whatever he thought proper was a law to h,er forever. She made the most amusingblunders in trying literally to apply all that Mrs Allen taught her, but she did it so naively and so prettily that her slips were almost better to Ordway than her successes. He assented to her plan to procure a suitable wardrobe, and supplied Mrs Allen with the necessary funds for that purpose. He had thought a good deal about his capricious charge during the voyage, and had brought Dv Page to agree with him that she would improve by American culture enough to make her a very decided sensation after a few years among* the people of their set. He had communicated to Julia his plan to place her in a first-class young ladies' school, with a governess to assist in training her, to which plan Julia promptly assented, on condition that he was to attend the school also. This point was not so easily managed, but after a little his will prevailed, and she was reconciled by the assurance that she should not be carried far away from her lord and master: Nevertheless Ordway ■ did not feel it to be an easy task to prepare his sister and mother for Julia. He might have had less concern if he had known, how far their confidence in his judgment extended. As a matter of fact Paula was delighted with his account of the Indian girl, especially as he did not betray any interest in her beyond that which he wished to reveal. It /was arranged, that she should be located for a time with the Ordways before being placed in school. When Orclway warned theni of her wild and untrained.disposition,' Paula only thought that this was, of course, .to be expected, and was q*iite a little fascinated with the idea of training such a; charge to her new life. She might not have been quite so complaisant had she known what inroads Julia's beauty had : really made upon her brother's fancy. At an early hour the same-evening the lawyer, the detective, and Mr Hershi High were all summoned by special messengerV to meet at : the , house of the fair- invalid to hear the story of Mr Dickenson Dv Page.- The travellers, together with Julia, -who was beginning to appreciate the virtues of American decorum, and to restrain her tendencies to .wild sayings .and doings, had reached America without accident. Dv Page was about as well as before the affair with the brigands. Both he and Ordway were delighted to "have penetrated the mystery of Dv Page's life, and were counting on the astonishment they might produce when it should be told. Paula was able to be sitting, in hergreat easy chair by this time, the arrival of her brother and her lover having proved a wonderful tonic to her weakness. She even scouted the idea of paying any more attention to her illness, declaring that she was entirely well. But1 the pallor of her face warned her friends, who were very careful and solicitous for her comfort for many days yet. Da Page and Ordway' had been informed of the adventures of. O'Rourke and of all that had transpired while they were gone. As now the whole party sat in the Ordway parlours, Dv JPage and Ordway in. turns related the story of their voyage and sojourn in India. .The breathless attention

of Paula was a' full regard for Dv Page; *All his dangers "arid advehturcs seemed delightful in the. retrb : spect, that made'him'a veritable hero in the- eyes of the woman who had only grown more' lovely to him'since he1 went away. * '. ■■■::■.'■■■■■:■ '■' ' 'Bt you do not enlighten us-in the least about the mystery, Mr DuPage. It is of; utmost moment to me, and to you also, I believe, to know all about that matter. Am I, or' is the young man. at Hershi Eigh's, or are you 'yourself the son of Lieutenant Bbger Castleton,>for whom was intended the casket, that Mr Hedmond carried to Calcutta?' ' ■ . ■ ... 'That disclosure I have reserved to the last,' says ;Du Page, with a cunning little smile. 'Mr Doane, I am happy to inform'you that you' yourself are the son of Lieutenant Roger Castleton. That is, I think it beyond doubt thrit you are,-Unless you are the soti'of the woman who called herself Mrs Piaby—' ■•Pray ,do not alloAv her existence to interrupt your narrative,' broke hi O'llourke. 'I have had- an interview with Mrs Raby Allen. lam still waiting for an intei-view Avitli Mi- Leoii Wilson. Her name is Mary O'BiMen. She has ? prospered since she met. Mr Wilson so weir that she is liberally supplied with all the whisky she .can drink. Mr Wilson coached her very ■well,' and she •had her lesson,' save |.when she was"too drunk. I happened to find her in one of 'her hilarious stages and she became duly confidential. She will not be as useful to Mr Wilson as he desires as a consequence.' , Thereupon O'kourke related' with great humour the account of his interview with Mary O'Brien. 'And I infer that the inquiries that she set on foot with' Axtell at Castle Garden were only a part of Mr Wilson's bungling- little scheme. As for Wilson, I fancy he will not show up any more. He found long ago that the land does not lie as he expected. He meant to bluff our friend, Hershi Big-h, and did not know about any other difficulties until he stumbled providentially upon Mr. Doane. Besides, he has consulted a lawyer. I found that out, too. He will disappear, mark my word for it.' 'Let him vanish then,' says Doane, with a sigh: 'I am relieved quite a; little to be assured that Mary O'Brien did not conceive me,' and he laughed with the others at the absurdity. ' 'It remains, then, for me,' 'went on Dv Page, 'to state my reasons for believing that, you,' Mr Doane, are the son of Lieutenant Castleton, wjiom your mother left in the care of the real Mrs Raby* Allen in Calcutta. I will say then that Mrs Ilaby Allen is at this moment at the Sinclair House, having come from India all the way with us in charge of Miss Twahr. She will be able on occasion to corroborate all thai I will, now reveal.' Dv Page paused, enjoying the sense that he was gently tantalising his hearers. Then looking all around1 he resumed. 'Mrs Allen asserts that you.have on your person a mark, by which you may be identified. Notwithstanding your light skin, which you must have taken from the lieutenant, you arc the son of a Hindoo mother. She perished, without doubt, in the wreck of the Dover. But if you have an extra toe on the inside of the large one on the right foot, then you are the lieutenant's son.' Dv Page fixed his eyes on Doane, fascinated .by the situatidn.;.which r lie, had created, and they all did. tne same, waiting for. Doane "to speak. The Hindoo, Hershi -Righ, however, halE rose from his chair, with a strange smile on his face, and before Doane could answer said in a scornful tone. 'That is absurd; Mr Dv Page. It is my son Koger, named for his father, Lieutenant Roger Castleton, who has that mark.' Doane looked back at him, with a queer, puzzled expression,.and replied immediately: 'I have had faith in Mr Hershi Righ. I did not until now believe that he wo\ild stoop to defend the claims of the young man ,who calls him father by falsifying the facts. I have that mark, and if it proves anything, it proves that Mr Hershi Righ is attempting to support a false claim. I believe, and have ever believed, that I am the lieutenant's son. As to the treasure which Mr- Righ has, I have determined to make no attempt to disturb it. There is no reason, therefore; why you should not tell us the exact truth about the young man whom you put forward as my father's son.' '..*■■• 'Not as your father's son,' says the Hindoo, in a cold, disdainful way. 'You accuse me of falsehood, Mr Doane. Very well; if then you iu*e so certain that I have told lies in behalf of someone who has no claim on the name and patrimony of the lieutenant, I challenge you to show the mark.' The Hindoo, with nostrjls dilating and head thrown back, had risen to his full height, and looked the picture of scorn and truth as he glai'ed' at the laHvyer. Doane promptly bared his foot. The Hindoo uttered an exclamation of amazement. ~ W The mark -was thei'e! Dv Page was laughing softly by himself while this tilt was proceeding, and at the same time he was removing the shoe and hose.from his own foot. He now thrust it out before him and said to Hershi Righ: 'If that does not astonish you sufficiently, will you please look at,my foot.' ..... .. .■~ • •,: ' ' :'."":. All eyes turned upon the shapely pedal of,the speaker.' , '' The mark \Vasalso' there! <. ..■ . : . Doane thought this ludicrous aswelljas wonderful, and broke into a hearty laugh, which was joined by O'Rourke, who said, half sottosvoce: 'My philosophy of the unexpected still nourishes, you see.' - 'And I will explain it on perfectly rational grounds,' says Dv "Page, overhearing the remark. 'I admitthat, it is amazing to remember that I haye, one of the caskets containing the old temple treasure, and that Rog-er, ;-your ward and charge, Hershi Righ, -has .another, and that to you, Mr Doane, has been willed the third. The truth seems to be that there was a, great diamond in each., casket. I have one of them, Hershi Righ .or Roger has another, and you 'Mr O'Rourke, have the third, which, as it was the -property of Jashi Lerni, probably now belongs to Mr Doane. • AI.L this is a brilliant vindication of ypufii philosophy. I admit, Mr . O'Rourke*. But the explanation of these marks' is simpler.'- . , /■"'■'■- ■•:: • ,;. _ ; • 'Will-you permit me then to giiessi the.mystery, Mr Dv Page?' •::> ' ■ :-, 'If you can —to be sure. Proceed.' . 'Roger Castleton, perhaps unknown ■even to himself, had three sons, and' not one, merely.. They .were' born at a single birth. They each. have that mark.: They eacb. are heirs of any-

thing which Roger Costleton could bequeath.' .'■. • ."'■•■."'.". ■ ; -There was-a long silence, arid then Dv- Page said:' -,'.',; * . . "'• 'Mr O'Rourke was a born prophet, with' the judgment of a seer. He has guessed the riddle. Two of "those children went, in ; the Dover. One, of them remained behind in charge of ■Mrs Raby Allen. Mr Dbane oiir poor father died, in the service of his cotintry before "the Siva god' in the old Hindoo temple. Our mother sleeps, under a foreign ocean until the sea gives up its dead. -But .you and I are brothers. Hershi Righ, tell 'Roger,'; who is brother to us both, that we' both will go to him to-morrow. In his helplessness he shall have all the . love that both of us can give.' : Doane and Dv Page clasped hands, and there' were some ' signs ■of tears here and there,'which O'Rourke relieved by saying: ■ 'Dbane, old boy, this beats even me. It was really worth-g-oing into. Much obliged. When are you going- to pay lie my bill.' ■ 'True, I did agree to pay you. Keep the diamond, then.' l; ; - 'So I will,' says the detective,-slyly. 'At least I will keep the one I have in my pocket.' ; ' '.' ; 'But unfortunately,' went on Dv Page, 'I know not the name of any of I us. The physician, Dr. Meredith, who j; revealed 'to me the secret which I ' have now disclosed, had> never even heard that the three children of his patient had ever been christened. Dr. Meredith tarried in England, but he will be over here after a few weeks and you will be all glad to question, him. 1, have here,' went on Dv Page, taking out a paper from his pocket, 'Dr. Meredith's statement under the seal of. a London, notary. It sets forth that he was the ship's surgeon of the Dover, and knew our mother. She was. still too feeble to be out of the physician's cai-e, and would'not have- ventured the journey but for the fact that the offer of a home in the family of the supercargo tempted her to the endeavour. But she would better have stayed on land, as Aye now know, 'The chikl that Hershi Righ rescued was doubtless the one' of us who alone was able to be carried about the ship i.by his nurse. Dr Meredith declared ■that one of the children, Dv Page, your humble'servant, I imagine, was fragile, and scarcely strong- enough to have been out of the cabin, that another was the picture, of robust health, who must have been Roger, your charge, Hershi Righ, while the third was apparently destined to an eai-ly ending, and had to be left behind entirely. In the wreck of the Dover these children Avere sti-angely preserved. I shall never know who fastened me to the life preserver, and committed me to the waves. It mayhave been the nurse. Certain it is that you and I fared better than our poor brother, Avho Avas so nearly crushed by the. swing-ing life raft. But that completes my adventures, ladies and gentlemen. Very glad to be at home again, I assure you.' The smiling fellow glanced at Paula, and then complacently around on all the rest. The look ■of«disdain and scorn on Hershi Righ's face was gone, and in place of it a soft, meditative expression had come that made him almost the picture of one of the apostles,, musing upon divine mysteries. 'It is the will of Brahm,' he said. 'As to our names, then,' says Doane, ,'>veii>eem. to be at liberty to name, oursejves. My name, however, is legally fixed by, my adoption as the son of Captain Larrimore Doane.' 'And you shall keep yoiirs, too,' piped in a pale young lady in the easy chair, looking- at Dv Page. 'As for the name Roger, I assure you it is pre-empted,' said Hershi Righ. 'As for me,' announced OrdAvay, almost yawning, 'I solemnly agreed to call on Mrs Allen at nine o'clock. Pray excuse me.' 'Oh, on Mrs Allen!' exclaims Dv Page, satirically. 'Oi'dway laughed, and Paula relieved her brother by calling after him as he went out: 'And remember you ■ promised tobring both of them here at once. I will never get Avell until I have seen that adorable Hindoo girl.' And perhaps when she has had a few years at an American school there will be developments that will astonish even Paula. We leave the prophecy to take its place among the philosophical predictions of the detective. But it does not wholly belong in the category of the unexpected. ' (The End.) ' '