“This buckle is formed of two pieces, bound to either end of a thin belt of rotten linen, and united by hook and socket.  Its whole dimensions are but 3 inches by 2 inches, but inside its curiously carved border it is entirely covered with writing in rude English character.  The narrowing funnel of the trough had kept it from being crushed by the statue, which fitted into a rim running round the interior.  Beyond the buckle and the two skeletons there was nothing in the trough; but I looked for nothing else.  Here, in my hands, lay the secret of the Great Ruby of Ceylon; my fingers clutched the wealth of princes.  My journey had ended and the riches of the earth were in my grasp.

“Forgetful of my guides, forgetful of the flight of time, mindful of nothing but the Golden Buckle, I sat down by the rim of the trough and began to decipher the writing.  The inscription, as far as I could gather, ran right across the clasp.  It could be read easily enough and contained accurate directions for searching in some spot, but where that spot was it did not reveal.  It might be close to the statue; and I was about to start up and make the attempt when I thought again of the parchment.  Pulling it from my pocket, I read:  ’_ . . . beneath this stone lies the secret of the Great Ruby; and yet not all, for the rest is graven on the Key which shall be already entrusted to you.  These precautions have I taken that none may surprise this Secret but its right possessor. . . ._’

“Now my father’s Will had expressly enjoined, on pain of his dying curse, that this key should not be moved from its place until the Trenoweth who went to seek the treasure should have returned and crossed the threshold of Lantrig.  Consequently the ruby was not buried on Adam’s Peak, or to return for the key would have been so much labour wasted.  Consequently, also, the Golden Buckle was valueless to anybody but him who knew the rest of my father’s injunctions.  Although not yet in my hand, the Great Ruby was mine.  I was folding up the buckle with the parchment before rejoining the guides, when a curious thing happened.

“The sun had climbed high into heaven whilst I was absorbed in my search, and was now flooding the little lawn with light.  In my excitement I had heard and seen nothing, nor noted that the heat was growing unbearable beneath the vertical rays.  But as I was folding up the parchment a black shadow suddenly fell across the page.  I started and looked up.

“Above me stood Simon Colliver.

“He was standing in the broad light of the sun and watching me intently, with a curious smile which grew as our eyes met.  How long he had been there I could not guess, but the strangeness of meeting him on this spot, and the occupation in which I was surprised, discomposed me not a little.  Hastily thrusting back the buckle and the parchment into my pocket, I scrambled to my feet and stood facing him.  Even as I did so, all Mr. Sanderson’s warnings came flashing into my mind.