A British Museum Romance.

Manawatu Herald, 31 March 1892, Page 3

A British Museum Romance.

« In the People, Mr Hatton tells the following curious story, illustrative of the danger of circumstantial evidence :— Don't you know the story of the prince and the famous coin, only one of which was known to be in existence? A royal student of numismatics, who was visiting at Windsor, went to the British Museum to see this wonderful coin. The keeper took him into a private room, and with much caution and solemnity drew from a small cabinet, the precious relic. " No, si I*,1 *, there is no ofcher example known to collectors ; ifc is unique," said the keeper, lhe prince examined ifc with lively curiosity, turned ifc over, looked afc it through a magnifier, was almost overcome with suppressed excitement. The* keeper saw that his visitor had tlie true feeling of the connoisseur ancl collector, and he was wary, for the passion of the antiquarian has been known to lead the most honest men into temptation. The keeper turned away from his visitor for a moment and the coin dropped. He certainly heard something fall and saw the prince stoop down as if to pick something up. "I have dropped it," said the prince. The keeper joined him in his search. Nowhere could the coin be found. Ten, twenty, .thirty minutes passed. The pripce looked afc his watch. " I am very sorry, but I have an appointment ; I musfc go." Tho keeper rose from his stooping posture, went to the door, locked it, put the key in his pocket, and looking the prince straight in the eye, said, " Nofc until you restore to me the coin I last saw in your hand." " But," said the prince, " you wiil find it presently, and my appointments is of the greatest importance." k .'You cannot leave this room, sir, uutil you give me back that coin." " Why, great heavens ! one would think by your manner fchafc- " " Nofc at all," said the keeper interrupting him, " come, let us find ifc." The prince bit his lip, turned pale, and resumed the search. Afc fche end , of an hour he insisted upon leaving the keeper to it. His anxiety to get away confirmed the keeper in his suspicion that the prince had yielded to the collectors' fever. Time went on ; the prince declared his intention to leave the place : " If you insist it will be my painful duty to call in a detective officer and have you searched." The prince leaned against the wall and wiped the perspiration from his face. "Do you mean that ?" "I do," said the keeper. "Then we must conijin.ue our search." They^ did ; every cranny and nook were reexamined. It was a polished oak floor. There was no furniture in it beyond one or two cabinets and a single chair. It , seemed impossible if the CQin had really fallen from the prince's hand that it could not He found in such a place. After awhile the prince sat down, looking the picture of despair, when suddenly packed away against the skirting of the room stood the coin as if glued to the wood, that was very much of its colour. "Oh, oh ! by the powers," explained the keener, " here it is !" " Thank God ! "" said the prince, with a fervency that seemed out of proportion with th,e event. " My dear sir," said the keeper, " I am deeply sorry that I should have seemed to doubt you. Can you forgive me ? " ,-*.' Yes, mosfc certainly," said the prince, " I was never more scared, I assure you, never realised until now how circumstantial cvi* dence .could hang a man for a crime of \^hich he might be perfectly innocent.. Standa little way from me,' please-, and I will show you why I was so anxious to be gone You say i that coin yoii hold in your hand is the. only one in existence." The prince put his hand in his pocket j pocket and drew out its fellow. '* I came into possession of it a year ago. Ever since I have had a burning desire to see the British Museum's coin. Only last week could I leave my country, and what would the greatest lady in the land, have thought ' of a guest who, on being searched, had offered such an explanation as that I have offered to you «*-that there were two euch coins,

i and that I had come here to compare . mine with yours ? Would you have I believed me?" "I am bound to ) say, sir, I should not." "What , should you have done ?" "I should . have been guided by the police." • "Of course ; and I could not blame i you. Good evening, I have missed i my luncheon ; but I am no longer . afraid to look you in the face I " And the two numismatists put away : their treasures, and after dinner told their story to their own select circles as you, my friend, may now tell my little reminiscence of the British Museum to yours.