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. If he stayed for six months, there
seemed no likelihood that at the end of that time he would be one whit
wiser on the one point on which he thirsted for information than he was
now. Still, he was glad for various reasons to retain his pleasant
quarters a little while longer.

Truth to tell, in Captain Ducie M. Platzoff had found a guest so much
to his liking that he could not make up his mind to let him go again.
Ducie was incurious, or appeared to be so; he saw and heard, and asked
no questions. He seemed to be absolutely destitute of political
principles, and therein he formed a pleasant contrast both to M.
Platzoff himself and to the swarm of foreign gentlemen who at different
times found their way to Bon Repos. He was at once a good listener and a
good talker. In fine, he made in every way so agreeable, and was at the
same time so thorough a gentleman that Platzoff was as glad to retain
him as he himself was pleased to stay.