I　slept　at　last　on　a　straw　mattress　on　the　floor　among　all　my
  apparatus。　　The　money　simply　flowed　away。　　I　grudged　myself
  everything　except　scientific　appliances。　　I　tried　to　keep　things
  going　by　a　little　teaching；　but　I　am　not　a　very　good　teacher；　and
  I　have　no　university　degree；　nor　very　much　education　except　in
  chemistry；　and　I　found　I　had　to　give　a　lot　of　time　and　labour　for
  precious　little　money。　　But　I　got　nearer　and　nearer　the　thing。
  Three　years　ago　I　settled　the　problem　of　the　composition　of　the
  flux；　and　got　near　the　pressure　by　putting　this　flux　of　mine　and　a
  certain　carbon　composition　into　a　closed…up　gun…barrel；　filling　up
  with　water；　sealing　tightly；　and　heating。〃
  He　paused。
  〃Rather　risky；〃　said　I。
  〃Yes。　　It　burst；　and　smashed　all　my　windows　and　a　lot　of　my
  apparatus；　but　I　got　a　kind　of　diamond　powder　nevertheless。
  Following　out　the　problem　of　getting　a　big　pressure　upon　the　molten
  mixture　from　which　the　things　were　to　crystallise；　I　hit　upon　some
  researches　of　Daubree's　at　the　Paris　Laboratorie　des　Poudres　et
  Salpetres。　　He　exploded　dynamite　in　a　tightly　screwed　steel
  cylinder；　too　strong　to　burst；　and　I　found　he　could　crush　rocks
  into　a　muck　not　unlike　the　South　African　bed　in　which　diamonds　are
  found。　　It　was　a　tremendous　strain　on　my　resources；　but　I　got　a
  steel　cylinder　made　for　my　purpose　after　his　pattern。　　I　put　in　all
  my　stuff　and　my　explosives；　built　up　a　fire　in　my　furnace；　put　the
  whole　concern　in；　andwent　out　for　a　walk。〃
  I　could　not　help　laughing　at　his　matter…of…fact　manner。　　〃Did
  you　not　think　it　would　blow　up　the　house？　　Were　there　other　people
  in　the　place？〃
  〃It　was　in　the　interest　of　science；〃　he　said；　ultimately。
  〃There　was　a　costermonger　family　on　the　floor　below；　a
  begging…letter　writer　in　the　room　behind　mine；　and　two　flower…women
  were　upstairs。　　Perhaps　it　was　a　bit　thoughtless。　　But　possibly
  some　of　them　were　out。
  〃When　I　came　back　the　thing　was　just　where　I　left　it；　among
  the　white…hot　coals。　　The　explosive　hadn't　burst　the　case。　　And
  then　I　had　a　problem　to　face。　　You　know　time　is　an　important
  element　in　crystallisation。　　If　you　hurry　the　process　the　crystals
  are　smallit　is　only　by　prolonged　standing　that　they　grow　to　any
  size。　　I　resolved　to　let　this　apparatus　cool　for　two　years；　letting
  the　temperature　go　down　slowly　during　the　time。　　And　I　was　now
  quite　out　of　money；　and　with　a　big　fire　and　the　rent　of　my　room；　as
  well　as　my　hunger　to　satisfy；　I　had　scarcely　a　penny　in　the　world。
  〃I　can　hardly　tell　you　all　the　shifts　I　was　put　to　while　I　was
  making　the　diamonds。　　I　have　sold　newspapers；　held　horses；　opened
  cab…doors。　　For　many　weeks　I　addressed　envelopes。　　I　had　a　place　as
  assistant　to　a　man　who　owned　a　barrow；　and　used　to　call　down　one
  side　of　the　road　while　he　called　down　the　other。
  〃Once　for　a　week　I　had　absolutely　nothing　to　do；　and　I　begged。
  What　a　week　that　was！　　One　day　the　fire　was　going　out　and　I　had
  eaten　nothing　all　day；　and　a　little　chap　taking　his　girl　out；　gave
  me　sixpenceto　show　off。　　Thank　heaven　for　vanity！　　How　the
  fish…shops　smelt！　　But　I　went　and　spent　it　all　on　coals；　and　had
  the　furnace　bright　red　again；　and　thenWell；　hunger　makes　a　fool
  of　a　man。
  〃At　last；　three　weeks　ago；　I　let　the　fire　out。　　I　took　my
  cylinder　and　unscrewed　it　while　it　was　still　so　hot　that　it
  punished　my　hands；　and　I　scraped　out　the　crumbling　lava…like　mass
  with　a　chisel；　and　hammered　it　into　a　powder　upon　an　iron　plate。
  And　I　found　three　big　diamonds　and　five　small　ones。　　As　I　sat　on
  the　floor　hammering；　my　door　opened；　and　my　neighbour；　the
  begging…letter　writer　came　in。　　He　was　drunkas　he　usually　is。
  〃'Nerchist；'　said　he。　　'You're　drunk；'　said　I。　''Structive
  scoundrel；'　said　he。　　'Go　to　your　father；'　said　I；　meaning　the
  Father　of　Lies。　　'Never　you　mind；'　said　he；　and　gave　me　a　cunning
  wink；　and　hiccuped；　and　leaning　up　against　the　door；　with　his　other
  eye　against　the　door…post；　began　to　babble　of　how　he　had　been
  prying　in　my　room；　and　how　he　had　gone　to　the　police　that　morning；
  and　how　they　had　taken　down　everything　he　had　to　say''siffiwas
  a　ge'm；'　said　he。　　Then　I　suddenly　realised　I　was　in　a　hole。
  Either　I　should　have　to　tell　these　police　my　little　secret；　and　get
  the　whole　thing　blown　upon；　or　be　lagged　as　an　Anarchist。　　So　I
  went　up　to　my　neighbour　and　took　him　by　the　collar；　and　rolled　him
  about　a　bit；　and　then　I　gathered　up　my　diamonds　and　cleared　out。
  The　evening　newspapers　called　my　den　the　Kentish　Town　Bomb　Factory。
  And　now　I　cannot　part　with　the　things　for　love　or　money。
  〃If　I　go　in　to　respectable　jewellers　they　ask　me　to　wait；　and
  go　and　whisper　to　a　clerk　to　fetch　a　policeman；　and　then　I　say　I
  cannot　wait。　　And　I　found　out　a　receiver　of　stolen　goods；　and　he
  simply　stuck　to　the　one　I　gave　him　and　told　me　to　prosecute　if　I
  wanted　it　back。　　I　am　going　about　now　with　several　hundred　thousand
  pounds…worth　of　diamonds　round　my　neck；　and　without　either　food　or
  shelter。　　You　are　the　first　person　I　have　taken　into　my　confidence。
  But　I　like　your　face　and　I　am　hard…driven。〃
  He　looked　into　my　eyes。
  〃It　would　be　madness；〃　said　I；　〃for　me　to　buy　a　diamond　under
  the　circumstances。　　Besides；　I　do　not　carry　hundreds　of　pounds
  about　in　my　pocket。　Yet　I　more　than　half　believe　your　story。　　I
  will；　if　you　like；　do　this：　come　to　my　office　to…morrow　。　。　。　。　〃
  〃You　think　I　am　a　thief！〃　said　he　keenly。　　〃You　will　tell　the
  police。　　I　am　not　coming　into　a　trap。〃
  〃Somehow　I　am　assured　you　are　no　thief。　　Here　is　my　card。
  Take　that；　anyhow。　　You　need　not　come　to　any　appointment。　　Come
  when　you　will。〃
  He　took　the　card；　and　an　earnest　of　my　good…will。
  〃Think　better　of　it　and　come；〃　said　I。
  He　shook　his　head　doubtfully。　　〃I　will　pay　back　your
  half…crown　with　interest　some　daysuch　interest　as　will　amaze
  you；〃　said　he。　　〃Anyhow；　you　will　keep　the　secret？　。　。　。　。　Don't
  follow　me。〃
  He　crossed　the　road　and　went　into　the　darkness　towards　the
  little　steps　under　the　archway　leading　into　Essex　Street；　and　I　let
  him　go。　　And　that　was　the　last　I　ever　saw　of　him。
  Afterwards　I　had　two　letters　from　him　asking　me　to　send
  bank…notesnot　chequesto　certain　addresses。　　I　weighed　the
  matter　over　and　took　what　I　conceived　to　be　the　wisest　course。
  Once　he　called　upon　me　when　I　was　out。　　My　urchin　described　him　as
  a　very　thin；　dirty；　and　ragged　man；　with　a　dreadful　cough。　　He　left
  no　message。　　That　was　the　finish　of　him　so　far　as　my　story　goes。
  I　wonder　sometimes　what　has　become　of　him。　　Was　he　an　ingenious
  monomaniac；　or　a　fraudulent　dealer　in　pebbles；　or　has　he　really
  made　diamonds　as　he　asserted？　　The　latter　is　just　sufficiently
  credible　to　make　me　think　at　times　that　I　have　missed　the　most
  brilliant　opportunity　of　my　life。　　He　may　of　course　be　dead；　and
  his　diamonds　carelessly　thrown　asideone；　I　repeat；　was　almost　as
  big　as　my　thumb。　　Or　he　may　be　still　wandering　about　trying　to　sell
  the　things。　　It　is　just　possible　he　may　yet　emerge　upon　society；
  and；　passing　athwart　my　heavens　in　the　serene　altitude　sacred　to
  the　wealthy　and　the　well…advertised；　reproach　me　silently　for　my
  want　of　enterprise。　　I　sometimes　think　I　might　at　least　have　risked
  five　pounds。