glass, with the wires running from it down the hall. Then we
entered.

"On time to the minute, Professor," exclaimed Poissan, snapping
his watch. "And this, I presume, is the banker who is interested
in my great discovery of making artificial diamonds of any size
or colour?" he added, indicating me.

"Yes," answered Craig, "as I told you, a son of Mr. T. Pierpont
Spencer."

I shook hands with as much dignity as I could assume, for the
role of impersonation was a new one to me.

Kennedy carelessly laid his coat and hat on the inside ledge of
the ground-glass window, just opposite the spot where he had
placed the little coil on the other side of the glass. I noted
that the window was simply a large pane of wire-glass set in the
wall for the purpose of admitting light in the daytime from the
hall outside.

The whole thing seemed eerie to me--especially as Poissan's
assistant was a huge fellow and had an evil look such as I had
seen in pictures of the inhabitants of quarters of Paris which
one does not frequent except in the company of a safe guide. I
was glad Kennedy had brought his revolver, and rather vexed that
he had not told me to do likewise. However, I trusted that Craig
knew what he was about.

We seated ourselves some distance from a table on which was a