the diamond maker-第2章

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hungrily。　　〃To　think；〃　said　he；　〃that　I　am　on　the　verge　of　it　all；

and　here！



〃I　had；〃　he　proceeded；　〃about　a　thousand　pounds　when　I　was

twenty…one；　and　this；　I　thought；　eked　out　by　a　little　teaching；

would　keep　my　researches　going。　　A　year　or　two　was　spent　in　study；

at　Berlin　chiefly；　and　then　I　continued　on　my　own　account。　　The

trouble　was　the　secrecy。　　You　see；　if　once　I　had　let　out　what　I　was

doing；　other　men　might　have　been　spurred　on　by　my　belief　in　the

practicability　of　the　idea；　and　I　do　not　pretend　to　be　such　a

genius　as　to　have　been　sure　of　coming　in　first；　in　the　case　of　a

race　for　the　discovery。　　And　you　see　it　was　important　that　if　I

really　meant　to　make　a　pile；　people　should　not　know　it　was　an

artificial　process　and　capable　of　turning　out　diamonds　by　the　ton。　

So　I　had　to　work　all　alone。　　At　first　I　had　a　little　laboratory；

but　as　my　resources　began　to　run　out　I　had　to　conduct　my

experiments　in　a　wretched　unfurnished　room　in　Kentish　Town；　where

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　ju