"Well, just one question," I cried. "What are you? What is yourprofession?"
"I am a solicitor's clerk," said he. "Second man at Johnson andMerivale's, 41 Chancery Lane."
"Good-night!" said I, and vanished, like all disconsolate andbroken-hearted heroes, into the darkness, with grief and rage andlaughter all simmering within me like a boiling pot.
One more little scene, and I have done. Last night we all supped atLord John Roxton's rooms, and sitting together afterwards we smoked ingood comradeship and talked our adventures over. It was strange underthese altered surroundings to see the old, well-known faces andfigures. There was Challenger, with his smile of condescension, hisdrooping eyelids, his intolerant eyes, his aggressive beard, his hugechest, swelling and puffing as he laid down the law to Summerlee. AndSummerlee, too, there he was with his short briar between his thinmoustache and his gray goat's-beard, his worn face protruded in eagerdebate as he queried all Challenger's propositions. Finally, there wasour host, with his rugged, eagle face, and his cold, blue, glacier eyeswith always a shimmer of devilment and of humor down in the depths ofthem. Such is the last picture of them that I have carried away.
It was after supper, in his own sanctum--the room of the pink radianceand the innumerable trophies--that Lord John Roxton had something tosay to us. From a cupboard he had brought an old cigar-box, and thishe laid before him on the table.
"There's one thing," said he, "that maybe I should have spoken aboutbefore this, but I wanted to know a little more clearly where I was.No use to raise hopes and let them down again. But it's facts, nothopes, with us now. You may remember that day we found the pterodactylrookery in the swamp--what? Well, somethin' in the lie of the landtook my notice. Perhaps it has escaped you, so I will tell you. Itwas a volcanic vent full of blue clay." The Professors nodded.
"Well, now, in the whole world I've only had to do with one place thatwas a volcanic vent of blue clay. That was the great De Beers DiamondMine of Kimberley--what? So you see I got diamonds into my head. Irigged up a contraption to hold off those stinking beasts, and I spenta happy day there with a spud. This is what I got."
He opened his cigar-box, and tilting it over he poured about twenty orthirty rough stones, varying from the size of beans to that ofchestnuts, on the table.
"Perhaps you think I should have told you then. Well, so I should,only I know there are a lot of traps for the unwary, and that stonesmay be of any size and yet of little value where color and consistencyare clean off. Therefore, I brought them back, and on the first day athome I took one round to Spink's, and asked him to have it roughly cutand valued."
He took a pill-box from his pocket, and spilled out of it a beautifulglittering diamond, one of the finest stones that I have ever seen.
"There's the result," said he. "He prices the lot at a minimum of twohundred thousand pounds. Of course it is fair shares between us. Iwon't hear of anythin' else. Well, Challenger, what will you do withyour fifty thousand?"
"If you really persist in your generous view," said the Professor, "Ishould found a private museum, which has long been one of my dreams."
"And you, Summerlee?"
"I would retire from teaching, and so find time for my finalclassification of the chalk fossils."
"I'll use my own," said Lord John Roxton, "in fitting a well-formedexpedition and having another look at the dear old plateau. As to you,young fellah, you, of course, will spend yours in gettin' married."
"Not just yet," said I, with a rueful smile. "I think, if you willhave me, that I would rather go with you."
Lord Roxton said nothing, but a brown hand was stretched out to meacross the table.