seated at the table. After one suspicious glance at the stranger, Mr.
Madgin made his bow to the ladies and walked up to the table with his
bag of papers.

"You can put all those things away for the day, Mr. Madgin," said her
ladyship. "A far more important matter claims our attention just now. In
the first place I must introduce to you Sergeant Nicholas, many years
ago servant to my son, Captain Chillington, who died in India.
(Sergeant, this is Mr. Madgin, my man of business.) The Sergeant, who
has only just returned to England, told me yesterday a very curious
story which I am desirous that he should repeat in your presence to-day.
The story relates to a diamond of great value, said to have been stolen
from the body of my son immediately after death, and I shall require you
to give me your opinion as to the feasibility of its recovery. You will
take such notes of the narrative as you may think necessary, and the
Sergeant will afterwards answer, to the best of his ability, any
questions you may choose to put to him." Then turning to the old
soldier, she added: "You will be good enough, Sergeant, to repeat to Mr.
Madgin such parts of your narrative of yesterday as have any reference
to the diamond. Begin with my son's dying message. Repeat, word for
word, as closely as you can remember, all that was told you by the sycee
Rung. Describe as minutely as possible the personal appearance of M.
Platzoff; and detail any other points that bear on the loss of the
diamond."

So the Sergeant began, but the repetition of a long narrative not learnt
by heart is by no means an easy matter, especially when they to whom it
was first told hear it for the second time, but rather as critics than
as ordinary listeners. Besides, the taking of notes was a process that
smacked of a court-martial and tended to flurry the narrator, making him