A Romance from a Detective’s Case-5007.

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By Dick DoONOVAN,

Anthor of ** The Man from

Alanchestr” Trackel to Doom,” *“ Caught al Last,” “Iho Poisoned [letty

Duncan,” A Detectiv’s Triumphs,” I the Grip of the Lazw,” &c.y &,

TS everyone knows, the late W Lord Middlewick had a per- fect craze for collecting rave gems and works of art; and, being a man of unbounded wealth, he was cnabled to gratify his tastes to his heart’s content. s cabinct of precious stones was considered to be unique in its way, and contained the very rarest specimens of the world's gems, including some truly magnificent diamonds and pearls. His lordship, however, always considered that the collection was imperfect,

owing to the absence of a good specimen of

the very peculiar stone known generally as the cat's-cye, on account of its close resems- blance, both as regards colour and - descence, to pussy's optic. This gem secems to be peculiar to the island of Ceylon, but it is scldom that a really good specimen is discovered. Through some cause that has never been satisfactorily explained, the cat's-eyes have certain flaws in them, par- ticularly as regards their iridescence, which not only greatly depreciate their value, but cause them to be rejected by collectors. Tt had long been Lord Middlewick's ambition to say that he was the possessor cf the most perfect cat's-eye in the world ; but, though he had practically ransacked FEurope ~—in fact, it might be said that hc had

ransacked the world itself—he had not succeeded in obtaining what he wished. At last a report went the round of the papers that a cat’s-cye had been discovered in Ceylon that was absolutely without a flaw. Tt was said to be as large as a hen's cog, and of such magnificent colour that it was peerless, and was roughly valued at fifty thousand pounds. It was announced that several offers had been made for it, but undoubtedly it would pass into the possession of Lord Middlewick, whose agent was already on his way to Ceylon, and was instructed to sccure the gem at any cost. [Four moenths passed, when there as- sembled at Tord Middlewick's splendid mansion in Berkshire a large number of ladies and gentlemen, including many well- known cxperts, who had been specially invited to have the first view of the now renowned cat's-eye, which had arrived the day previous, in charge of his lordship’s representative, Mr. Lionel Ashburton, the son of General Ashburton, who distin- guished himself so much during the Indian Mutiny. Mr. Ashburton was well known as an authority on precious stones, and his famous work, “The World's Great Gems,” which cost vears of rescarch, 1s still con- sidered the standard book of its kind, Mr, Ashburton had been out to Ceylon to