l66 THE BLACK PRINCE'S RUBY.
man
named Edwards who was in the habit of locking himself in with his
visitors when showing the treasure. One day a gentleman, apparently a
parson, and a lady, apparently his wife, called and saw the crown which
they particularly admired, of course. The parson was Colonel Blood, a
notorious Irish desperado. The lady became suddenly faint and was
accommodated with a chair and other restoratives in the keeper's
sitting-room where quite a friendship was struck up. The soi-disant parson
cultivated the friendship assiduously, and finally proposed to cement
it by a marriage between his nephew, apparently a soldier, and the
daughter of the keeper. Blood came with the nephew who it is needless
to say was merely an accomplice, and another friend. They asked to see
the regalia and the unsuspecting old man led them into the strong room
and locked himself in as usual. The moment he had done so he was set
upon by the three ruffians, beaten, thrown down, gagged, stabbed in the
body and left for
