wondering, when you called just now, if I would communicate with you or
with the police. The fact is--I suppose you want this for your paper,
eh?" he continued after a sudden breaking off.

"I shall not print anything that you wish me not to print," answered
Spargo. "If you care to give me any information----"

"Oh, well!" said Mr. Aylmore. "I don't mind. The fact is, I knew next
to nothing. Marbury was a man with whom I had some--well, business
relations, of a sort, a great many years ago. It must be twenty
years--perhaps more--since I lost sight of him. When he came up to me
in the lobby the other night, I had to make an effort of memory to
recall him. He wished me, having once met me, to give him some advice,
and as there was little doing in the House that night, and as he had
once been--almost a friend--I walked to his hotel with him, chatting.
He told me that he had only landed from Australia that morning, and
what he wanted my advice about, principally, was--diamonds. Australian
diamonds."

"I was unaware," remarked Spargo, "that diamonds were ever found in
Australia."

Mr. Aylmore smiled--a little cynically.

"Perhaps so," he said. "But diamonds have been found in Australia from
time to time, ever since Australia was known to Europeans, and in the
opinion of experts, they will eventually be found there in quantity.
Anyhow, Marbury had got hold of some Australian diamonds, and he showed
them to me at his hotel--a number of them. We examined them in his
room."