Mr. Hannay attacked this nascent carbon with many gaseous solvents, and it is his triumph to have found what he sought. In doing so he has removed a reproach of long standing from the science of chemistry; for, whereas the larger part of that science is occupied with the chemistry of carbon and its compounds, this element has never previously been either dissolved or vaporized by man.

What the solvent is we are not at present definitely told; we only know that it is some nitrogen compound, probably a cyanide; but the process is quite intelligible in the absence of this information, while its products are open to the examination of experts.

A hydro-carbon vapor, such as petroleum, is decomposed at a high temperature and under great pressure. As the hydrogen and carbon part company, the former is absorbed, while the latter, being nascent, dissolves in a gaseous solvent, from which solution of carbon crystals are then obtained, just as table salt is produced by the evaporation of brine, and these crystals are diamond.

The temperature at which the dissociation of the hydro-carbon is effected must be very high, and the pressure enormous, so that the great difficulty of the process lies in the construction of an inclosing vessel strong enough to withstand the combination of heat and disruptive force. Coiled tubes of wrought iron, of half an inch bore and four inches external diameter, have been torn open in nine cases out of ten.

The mineralogical tests which demonstrate the genuineness of diamond are as follows: It must scratch topaz and sapphire, its angles must be those of a regular octahedron, it must burn without leaving any residue, and it, must exert

Professor Maskelyne, of the British Museum, has already stated in the Times that Mr. Hannay's crystals satisfy all these tests. They score topaz and sapphire easily and deeply; the angle of their cleavage-faces, which could not be measured with great accuracy on account of the minuteness of the gems, is 70° 29', while that of the diamond is 70° 30'. Particles ingited on platinum glow and disappear exactly as the gem would do, and they are very nearly inert in polarized light.

It is not long since science rejected the claims of another Glasgow investigator to the artificial production of crystalline carbon, and it is somewhat singular that Mr. Hannay's successful solution of this great chemical problem should have followed so quickly upon Mr. M'Tear's failure.

That the diamonds in this case are real there is now no question; and it is quite possible that, just as experience has taught chemists how to produce large and perfect crystals from solutions which under ordinary treatment yield only small and imperfect specimens, so Mr. Hannay may by and by succeed in making diamonds as big as the Koh-iNoor or the Regent.

We learn, however, from the investigator's own statement, that up to the present time it has cost him £5 to produce five shillings' worth of diamond; but even if the world of fashion is destined to deplore the degradation of its cherished gem, we may be sure that, long after some new toy has satisfied society for its loss, the crystallization of carbon will possess for the greater world of science the same kind of interest as clings around the discovery of oxygen by Priestley, or the demonstration of magnetoelectricity by Michael Faraday.-Belgravia Magazine.

CHAPTER XXIX.

THE LAIRD'S PLANS.

WHO is first up to thrust aside those delusive yellow blinds that suggest sunshine whether the morning be fair or foul? But the first glance through the panes removes all apprehensions: the ruffled bay, the fluttering ensign, the shining white wings of the White Dove are all a summons to the slumbering house. And the mistress of Castle Osprey, as soon as she is dressed, is upstairs and down-stairs like a furred flash of lightning. Her cry and potent command-a reminiscence of certain transatlantic experiences-is, "All aboard for Dan'l's!" She will not have so fine a sailing morning wasted, especially when Dr. Angus Sutherland is with us.

var

Strangely enough, when at last we stand on the white decks, and look round on the shining brass and nished wood, and help to stow away the various articles needed for our cruise, he is the least excited of all those chattering people. There is a certain conscious elation on starting on a voyage, especially on a beautiful morning; but there also may be some vague and dim apprehension. The beginning is here; but the end? Angus walked about with Captain John, and was shown all that had been done to the yacht, and listened in silence.

But the rest were noisy enough, calling for this and that, handing things down the companion, and generally getting in the way of the steward.

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Well, Fred," says our facetious Laird, have ye hung up all the game that Mr. Smith brought back from the moor yesterday?" and Master Fred was so much tickled by this profound joke that he had to go down into the forecastle to hide his grinning delight, and went covertly smiling about his work for the next quarter of an hour.

Then the hubbub gradually ceased; for the boats had been swung to the davits and the White Dove was gently slipping away from her moorings. A fine northerly breeze; a ruffled blue sea;

Would you like to tek the tiller now, mem?" says the bearded skipper, in his most courteous tones. Sutherland was aye very proud to see ye at the tiller."

No, thank you, John," she says.

And then she becomes aware that she has-in her absent mood-spoken somewhat curtly; so she turns and comes over to him, and says in a confidential way,

To tell you the truth, John, I never feel very safe in steering when the yacht is going before the wind. When she is close-hauled I have something to guide me; but with the wind coming behind I know I may make a blunder without knowing why.'

"No, no, mem; you must not let Mr. Sutherland hear you say that: when he was so prood o' learnin' ye; and there is no dancher at all of your making a plunder."

But at this moment our young Doctor himself comes on deck; and she quickly moves away to her camp-stool, and plunges herself into a book; while the attentive Mr. Smith provides her with a sunshade and a footstool. Dr. Sutherland cannot, of course, interfere with her diligent studies.

Meanwhile our hostess is below, putting a few finishing touches to the decoration of the saloon; while the Laird, in the blue-cushioned recess at the head of the table, is poring over Municipal

London. At length he raises his eyes, and says to his sole companion,

"I told ye, ma'am, he was a good lad--a biddable lad-did I not?''

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"You are speaking of your nephew, of course," she says. Well, it is very kind of him to offer to turn out of his state-room in favor of Dr. Sutherland; but there is really no need for it. Angus is much better accustomed to roughing it on board a yacht."

"I beg your pardon, ma'am," says the Laird, with judicial gravity. "Howard is in the right there, too. He must insist on it. Dr. Sutherland is your oldest friend. Howard is here on I am sure we are

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a kind of sufferance. both of us greatly obliged to ye.' Here there was the usual deprecation. And I will say," observes the Laird, with the same profound air, "that his conduct since I sent for him has entirely my approval-entirely my approval. Ye know what I mean. I would not say a word to him for the world-no, no-after the first intimation of my wishes, no coercion. Every one for himself: no coercion."

She does not seem so overjoyed as might have been expected.

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Oh, of course not!" she says. "It is only in plays and books that anybody is forced into a marriage; at least you don't often find a man driven to marry anybody against his will. And, indeed, sir," she adds, with a faint smile, "you rather frightened your nephew at first. He thought you were going to play the part of a stage guardian, and disinherit him if he did not marry the young lady. But I took the liberty of saying to him that you could not possibly be so unreasonable. Because, you know, if Mary refused to marry him, how could that be any fault of his?"

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Precisely so," said the Laird, in his grand manner. "A most judeecious and sensible remark. Let him do his part, and I am satisfied. I would not exact impossibeelities from any one, much less from one that I have a particular regard for. And, as I was saying, Howard is a good lad."

The Laird adopted a lighter tone. "Have ye observed, ma'am, that things are not at all unlikely to turn out as we wished?" he said in a half-whis

per; and there was a secret triumph in his look. "Have ye observed? Oh, yes! young folks are very shy; but their elders are not blind. Did ye ever see two young people that seemed to get on better together on so short an acquaintance?"

"Oh, yes!" she says rather gloomily; "they seem to be very good friends."

"Yachting is a famous thing for making people acquainted," says the Laird, with increasing delight. They know one another now as well as though they had been friends for years on the land. Has that struck ye now before?"

"Oh, yes!" she says. There is no delight on her face.

"It will jist be the happiness of my old age, if the Lord spares me, to see these two established at Denny-mains, says he, as if he were looking at the picture before his very eyes. "And we have a fine soft air in the west of Scotland; it's no like asking a young English leddy to live in the bleaker parts of the north, or among the east winds of Edinburgh. And I would not have the children sent to any public school, to learn vulgar ways of speech and clipping of words. No, no; I would wale out a young man from our Glasgow University-one familiar with the proper tradeetions of the English language; and he will guard against the clipping fashion of the South, just as against the yaumering of the Edinburgh bodies. Äh will wale

him out maself. But no too much education: no, no; that is the worst gift ye can bestow upon bairns. A sound constitution; that is first and foremost. I would rather see a lad out and about shooting rabbits than shut up wi' a pale face among a lot of books. And the boys will have their play, I can assure ye; I will send that fellow Andrew about his business of he doesna stop netting and snaring. What do I care about the snipping at the shrubs? I will put out turnips on the verra lawn, jist to see the rabbits run about in the morning. The boys shall have their play at Dennymains, I can assure ye; more play than school-hours, or I'm mistaken!"

The Laird laughed to himself just as if he had been telling a good one about Homesh.

"And no muzzle-loaders," he con

tinued, with ૩ sudden seriousness. "Not a muzzle-loader will I have put into their hands. Many's the time it makes me grue to think of my loading a muzzle-loader when I was a boy-loading one barrel with the other barrel on full-cock, and jist gaping to blow my fingers off. I'm thinking Miss Marythough she'll no be Miss Mary thenwill be sore put to when the boys bring in thrushes and blackbirds they have shot; for she's a sensitive bit thing; but what I say is, better let them shoot thrushes and blackbirds than bring them up to have white faces ower books. tell ye this: I'll give them a sovereign apiece for every blackbird they shoot on the wing!"

Ah

The Laird had got quite excited; he did not notice that Municipal London was dangerously near the edge of the table.

Andrew will not objeck to the shooting o' blackbirds," he said, with a loud laugh-as if there were something of Homesh's vein in that gardener. "The poor crayture is just daft about his cherries. That's another thing; no interference with bairns in a garden. Let them steal what they like. Green apples? bless ye, they're the life o' children! Nature puts everything to rights. She kens better than books. If I catched the schoolmaster lockin' up they boys in their play-hours, my word but I'd send him fleein' !"'

He was most indignant with this schoolmaster, although he was to be of his own "waling." He was determined that the lads should have their play, lessons or no lessons. Green apples he preferred to Greek. The dominie would have to look out.

"Do you think, ma'am," he says, in an insidious manner; do ye think she would like to have a furnished house in London for pairt of the year? might have her friends to see

She

think your nephew is going to marry Mary? And Angus Sutherland in love with her!"

God bless me !" exclaimed the Laird, with such a start that the bulky Municipal London banged down on the cabin floor.

Was it the picking up of that huge tome, or the consciousness that he had been betrayed into an unusual ejaculation, that crimsoned the Laird's face? When he sat upright again, however, wonder was the chief expression visible in his eyes.

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'Of course, I have no right to say so," she instantly and hurriedly adds; it is only a guess—a suspicion. But haven't you seen it? And until quite recently I had other suspicions, too. Why, what do you think would induce a man in Angus Sutherland's position to spend such a long time in idleness ?''

But by this time the Laird had recovered his equanimity. He was not to be disturbed by any bogey. He smiled serenely.

"We will see, ma'am; we will see If it is so with the young man, it is a peety. But you must admit yourself that ye see how things are likely to turn out ?"

"I don't know," she said with reluctance; she would not admit that she had been grievously troubled during the past few days.

Very well, ma'am, very well," said the Laird blithely. "We will see who is right. I am not a gambler, but I would wager ye a gold ring, a sixpence, and a silver thimble that I am no so far out. I have my eyes open; oh, aye! Now I am going on deck to see where

we are.

And so the Laird rose and put the bulky volume by, and passed along the saloon to the companion. We heard

Sing tántara! Sing tántara !

as his head appeared. He was in a gay humor.

Meanwhile the White Dove with all sail set, had come along at a spanking pace. The weather threatened change, it is true; there was a deep gloom overhead; but along the southern horizon there was a blaze of yellow light which had the odd appearance of being a sunset in the middle of the day; and in

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