"The gems were certainly magnificent; and though I knew well enough
that these untiring Brahmins would not be long in guessing that the
things had come into my possession, I took the bracelet. I thought,
anyhow, that I might have a few hours' start; the fellow I had
killed might, of course, have one or two others with him, but I had
to risk that. I got leave an hour later, and went down to Madras,
and got them put into a place of safety. That I was watched all
the time I was in India afterwards I have no doubt, but no attempts
were made to assassinate me. They would have known that I went
straight away, but whether I had buried them somewhere on the road,
or had given them to someone's care at Madras they could not know,
and there was, therefore, nothing for them to do but to wait till
I made a move.

"I have no doubt whatever that they came over in the same ship
with me. Two or three times during the week I was in London I saw
colored men in the street outside the hotel. Once it was a Lascar
seaman, another time a dark looking sailor in European clothes: he
might pass for a Spaniard. Several times as I was going about in a
sedan chair I looked out suddenly, and each time there was a dark
face somewhere in the street behind. I had a letter this morning
from the lawyer, and he mentioned that two days ago his offices
had been broken into, and every strong box and drawer forced open,
but that, curiously enough, they could not find that anything had
been stolen, though in the cashier's box there were 30 pounds in
gold. Of course it was my friends. I have no doubt that one or two
of them have followed me down here; and for anything I know they
may be lurking somewhere in your garden at the present moment--
that is, if they are not standing beside us in this room."