"Did you ever meet this converted Brahmin?"
"Not that I am aware of."
"I have."
"When? Where?" demanded the amazed missionary.
"The Brahmin who owns the Star of India is Luchman, one of your own converts and our guide."
The surgeon enjoyed the emotion he caused. The missionary, who had been reclining on the ground, shot to an upright posture as suddenly as if he had felt a cobra moving under his body. He stared at his companion for several seconds absolutely speechless. Then he gasped:
"No; impossible!"
"It is the truth; he showed me the diamond when we were near Cawnpore; he has it in his turban this very minute."
"Well, well," muttered Mr. Hildreth, relapsing to his reclining position; "it is strange that I never suspected it. I can see now that many of the rumors which reached me fit Luchman exactly; and do you know, doctor, that the cunning rascal has talked with me many times about the diamond? He asked me to give him its history. So I posted myself, and you see that I have it at my tongue's end, that is the ancient history. That reminds me," added the missionary, rising on his elbow and laughing, "that he too once asked me whether I had ever heard the name of the Brahmin who captured the diamond from the Himalaya chieftain. What a blockhead I was never to feel any suspicion of him! And you have really seen the Star of India?"
"While we were resting in the bungalow, he unfolded his turban and unwrapped a piece of thick soft paper from which he took the gem larger than the end of my thumb. When he held it up a ray of sunlight struck it, and its brilliancy almost blinded me."