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in a suitable flux and under a suitable pressure； the carbon
crystallises out； not as black…lead or charcoal…powder； but as
small diamonds。 So much has been known to chemists for years； but
no one yet had hit upon exactly the right flux in which to melt up
the carbon； or exactly the right pressure for the best results。
Consequently the diamonds made by chemists are small and dark；
and worthless as jewels。 Now I； you know； have given up my life to
this problemgiven my life to it。
〃I began to work at the conditions of diamond making when I
was seventeen； and now I am thirty…two。 It seemed to me that it
might take all the thought and energies of a man for ten years； or
twenty years； but； even if it did； the game was still worth the
candle。 Suppose one to have at last just hit the right trick
before the secret got out and diamonds became as common as coal；
one might realize millions。 Millions！〃
He paused and looked for my sympathy。 His eyes shone
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