“ItstrikesmethatthepuzzleconsistsinfindingouthowitispossibletogotosleepwithPugh’spurchaseinyourbedroom。Thisisfarbetterthantheold-fashionedprescriptionofcatsonthetiles。“
Itstruckmethenoisewasdistinctlylouderthanbefore；thisappliedbothtothetick，tick，tick，andthescreeching。
“Possibly，“Itoldmyself，asIrelightedthegas，“theexplosionistocomeoffthistime。“
Iturnedtolookatthebox。Therecouldbenodoubtaboutit；thenoisewaslouder。And，ifIcouldtrustmyeyes，theboxwasmoving——givingaseriesoflittlejumps。Thismighthavebeenanopticaldelusion，butitseemedtomethatateachticktheboxgavealittlebound。Duringthescreeches——whichsoundedmorelikethecriesofananimalinanagonyofpaineventhanbefore——ifitdidnottiltitselffirstononeend，andthenonanother，Ishallneverbewillingtotrusttheevidenceofmyowneyesagain。Andsurelytheboxhadincreasedinsize；Icouldhaveswornnotonlythatithadincreased，butthatitwasincreasing，evenasIstoodtherelookingon。Ithadgrown，andstillwasgrowing，bothbroader，andlonger，anddeeper。Pugh，ofcourse，wouldhaveattributedittosupernaturalagency；thereneverwasamanwithsuchanoseforaghost。Icouldpicturehimoccupyingmyposition，shiveringinhisnightshirt，ashebeheldthatmiracletakingplacebeforehiseyes。Thesolutionwhichatoncesuggesteditselftome——andwhichwouldNEVERhavesuggesteditselftoPugh！——
wasthattheboxwasfashioned，asitwere，inlayers，andthattheingeniousmechanismitcontainedwasforcingthesidesatoncebothupwardandoutward。Itookitinmyhand。Icouldfeelsomethingstrikingagainstthebottomofthebox，likethetap，tap，tappingofatinyhammer。
“ThisisaprettypuzzleofPugh’s。Hewouldsaythatthatisthetappingofadeathwatch。FormypartIhavenotmuchfaithindeathwatches，ethocgenusomne，butitcertainlyisacurioustapping；Iwonderwhatisgoingtohappennext？“
Apparentlynothing，exceptacontinuationofthosemysterioussounds。ThattheboxhadincreasedinsizeIhad，andhave，nodoubtwhatever。Ishouldsaythatithadincreasedagoodinchineverydirection，atleasthalfaninchwhileIhadbeenlookingon。
ButwhileIstoodlookingitsgrowthwassuddenlyandperceptiblystayed；itceasedtomove。Onlythenoisecontinued。
“Iwonderhowlongitwillbebeforeanythingworthhappeningdoeshappen！Isupposesomethingisgoingtohappen；therecan’tbeallthisto-dofornothing。Ifitisanythingintheinfernalmachineline，andthereisgoingtobeanexplosion，Imightaswellbeheretoseeit。IthinkI’llhaveapipe。“
Iputonmydressing-gown。Ilitmypipe。Isatandstaredatthebox。IdaresayIsatthereforquitetwentyminuteswhen，asbefore，withoutanysortofwarning，thesoundwasstilled。Itssuddencessationratherstartledme。
“Hasthemechanismagainhungfire？Or，thistime，istheexplosioncomingoff？“Itdidnotcomeoff；nothingcameoff。
“Isn’ttheboxevengoingtoopen？“
Itdidnotopen。Therewassimplysilenceallatonce，andthatwasall。Isatthereinexpectationforsomemomentslonger。ButIsatfornothing。Irose。Itooktheboxinmyhand。Ishookit。
“ThispuzzleISapuzzle。“Iheldtheboxfirsttooneear，thentotheother。Igaveitseveralsharprapswithmyknuckles。
Therewasnotanansweringsound，noteventhesortofreverberationwhichPughandIhadnoticedatfirst。Itseemedhollowerthanever。Itwasasthoughthesouloftheboxwasdead。
“IsupposeifIputyoudown，andextinguishthegasandreturntobed，inabouthalfanhourorso，justasIamdroppingofftosleep，theperformancewillberecommenced。Perhapsthethirdtimewillbelucky。“
ButIwasmistaken——therewasnothirdtime。WhenIreturnedtobedthattimeIreturnedtosleep，andIwasallowedtosleep；
therewasnocontinuationoftheperformance，atleastsofarasI
know。FornosoonerwasIoncemorebetweenthesheetsthanIwasseizedwithanirresistibledrowsiness，adrowsinesswhichsomasteredmethatI——Iimagineitmusthavebeeninstantly——sankintoslumberwhichlastedtilllongafterdayhaddawned。WhetherornotanymoremysterioussoundsissuedfromthebowelsofPugh’spuzzleismorethanIcantell。Iftheydid，theydidnotsucceedinrousingme。
Andyet，whenatlastIdidawake，Ihadasortofconsciousnessthatmywakinghadbeencausedbysomethingstrange。WhatitwasI
couldnotsurmise。MyownimpressionwasthatIhadbeenawakenedbythetouchofaperson’shand。Butthatimpressionmusthavebeenamistakenone，because，asIcouldeasilyseebylookingroundtheroom，therewasnooneintheroomtotouchme。
Itwasbroaddaylight。Ilookedatmywatch；itwasnearlyeleveno’clock。Iamaprettylatesleeperasarule，butIdonotusuallysleepaslateasthat。ThatscoundrelBobwouldletmesleepalldaywithoutthinkingitnecessarytocallme。IwasjustabouttospringoutofbedwiththeintentionofringingthebellsothatImightgiveBobapieceofmymindforallowingmetosleepsolate，whenmyglancefellonthedressing-tableonwhich，thenightbefore，IhadplacedPugh’spuzzle。Ithadgone！
ItsabsencesotookmebysurprisethatIrantothetable。ItHAD
gone。Butithadnotgonefar；ithadgonetopieces！Therewerethepieceslyingwheretheboxhadbeen。Thepuzzlehadsolveditself。Theboxwasopen，openwithavengeance，onemightsay。
LikethatunfortunateHumptyDumpty，who，sothechroniclerstellus，satonawall，surely“alltheking’shorsesandalltheking’smen“nevercouldputPugh’spuzzletogetheragain！
Themarquetryhadresolveditselfintoitscomponentparts。Howthosepartshadeverbeenjoinedwasamystery。Theyhadbeenlaiduponnofoundation，asisthecasewithordinaryinlaidwork。Theseveralpiecesofwoodwerenotonlyofdifferentshapesandsizes，buttheywereasthinasthethinnestveneer；yettheboxhadbeenformedbysimplyjoiningthemtogether。Themanwhomadethatboxmusthavebeenpossessedofingenuityworthyofabettercause。
Iperceivedhowthepuzzlehadbeenworked。Theboxhadcontainedanarrangementofsprings，which，onbeingreleased，hadexpandedthemselvesindifferentdirectionsuntiltheirmereexpansionhadrenttheboxtopieces。Therewerethesprings，lyingamidtheruintheyhadcaused。
Therewassomethingelseamidthatruinbesidesthosesprings；
therewasasmallpieceofwritingpaper。Itookitup。Onthereversesideofitwaswritteninaminute，crabbedhand:“A
PresentForYou。“Whatwasapresentforme？Ilooked，and，notforthefirsttimesinceIhadcaughtsightofPugh’spreciouspuzzle，couldscarcelybelievemyeyes。
There，poisedbetweentwouprightwires，thebentendsofwhichhelditaloftintheair，waseitherapieceofglassor——acrystal。Thescrapofwritingpaperhadexactlycoveredit。I
understoodwhatitwas，whenPughandIhadtappedwiththehammer，hadcausedtheansweringtapstoproceedfromwithin。Ourtapscausedthewirestooscillate，andintheseoscillationsthecrystal，whichtheyheldsuspended，hadtouchedthesideofthebox。
Ilookedagainatthepieceofpaper。“APresentForYou。“WasTHISthepresent——thiscrystal？Iregardeditintently。
“ItCAN’Tbeadiamond。“
Theideawasridiculous，absurd。Nomaninhissenseswouldplaceadiamondinsideatwopenny-halfpennypuzzlebox。Thethingwasasbigasawalnut！Andyet——Iamaprettygoodjudgeofpreciousstones——ifitwasnotanuncutdiamonditwasthebestimitationI
hadseen。Itookitup。Iexamineditclosely。ThemorecloselyIexaminedit，themoremywondergrew。
“ItISadiamond！“
Andyettheideawastoopreposterousforcredence。Whowouldpresentadiamondasbigasawalnutwithatrumperypuzzle？
Besides，allthediamondswhichtheworldcontainsofthatsizearealmostaswellknownastheKoh-i-noor。
“Ifitisadiamond，itisworth——itisworth——Heavenonlyknowswhatitisn’tworthifit’sadiamond。“
Iregardeditthroughastrongpocketlens。AsIdidsoIcouldnotrestrainanexclamation。
“TheworldtoaChinaorange，itISadiamond！“
Thewordshadscarcelyescapedmylipsthantherecameatappingatthedoor。
“Comein！“Icried，supposingitwasBob。ItwasnotBob，itwasPugh。InstinctivelyIputthelensandthecrystalbehindmyback。
AtsightofmeinmynightshirtPughbegantoshakehishead。
“Whathours，Tress，whathours！Why，mydearTress，I’vebreakfasted，readthepapersandmyletters，cameallthewayfrommyhousehere，andyou’renotup！“
“Don’tIlookasthoughIwereup？“
“Ah，Tress！Tress！“Heapproachedthedressing-table。Hiseyefellupontheruins。“What’sthis？“
“That’sthesolutiontothepuzzle。“
“Haveyou——haveyousolveditfairly，Tress？“
“Ithassolveditself。Ourhandling，andtapping，andhammeringmusthavefreedthespringswhichtheboxcontained，andduringthenight，whileIslept，theyhavecausedittocomeopen。“
“Whileyouslept？Dearme！Howstrange！And——whatarethese？“
Hehaddiscoveredthetwouprightwiresonwhichthecrystalhadbeenpoised。
“Isupposethey’repartofthepuzzle。“
“Andwasthereanythinginthebox？What’sthis？“hepickedupthescrapofpaper；Ihadleftitonthetable。Hereadwhatwaswrittenonit:“’APresentForYou。’What’sitmean？Tress，wasthisinthebox？“
“Itwas。“
“What’sitmeanaboutapresent？Wasthereanythingintheboxbesides？“
“Pugh，ifyouwillleavetheroomIshallbeabletodress；Iamnotinthehabitofreceivingquitesuchearlycalls，orIshouldhavebeenpreparedtoreceiveyou。Ifyouwillwaitinthenextroom，IwillbewithyouassoonasI’mdressed。ThereisalittlesubjectinconnectionwiththeboxwhichIwishtodiscusswithyou。“
“Asubjectinconnectionwiththebox？Whatisthesubject？“
“Iwilltellyou，Pugh，whenIhaveperformedmytoilet。“
“Whycan’tyoutellmenow？“
“Doyoupropose，then，thatIshouldstandhereshiveringinmyshirtwhileyouareprosingatyourease？Thankyou；Iamobliged，butIdecline。MayIaskyouoncemore，Pugh，towaitformeintheadjoiningapartment？“
Hemovedtowardthedoor。Whenhehadtakenacoupleofsteps，hehalted。
“I——Ihope，Tress，thatyou’re——you’regoingtoplaynotricksonme？“
“Tricksonyou！IsitlikelythatIamgoingtoplaytricksuponmyoldestfriend？“
Whenhehadgone——hevanished，itseemedtome，withasomewhatdoubtfulvisage——Itookthecrystaltothewindow。Idrewtheblind。Iletthesunshinefallonit。Iexamineditagain，closelyandminutely，withtheaidofmypocketlens。ItWASadiamond；therecouldnotbeadoubtofit。If，withmyknowledgeofstones，Iwasdeceived，thenIwasdeceivedasnevermanhadbeendeceivedbefore。MyheartbeatfasterasIrecognizedthefactthatIwasholdinginmyhandwhatwas，inallprobability，afortuneforamanofmoderatedesires。Ofcourse，PughknewnothingofwhatIhaddiscovered，andtherewasnoreasonwhyheshouldknow。Nottheleast！TheonlydifficultywasthatifI
keptmyowncounsel，andsoldthestoneandutilizedtheproceedsofthesale，Ishouldhavetoinventastorywhichwouldaccountformysuddenaccessiontofortune。PughknowsalmostasmuchofmyaffairsasIdomyself。Thatistheworstoftheseoldfriends！
WhenIjoinedPughIfoundhimdancingupanddownthefloorlikeabearuponhotplates。Hescarcelyallowedmetoputmynoseinsidethedoorbeforeattackingme。
“Tress，givemewhatwasinthebox。“
“MydearPugh，howdoyouknowthattherewassomethingintheboxtogiveyou？“
“Iknowtherewas！“
“Indeed！Ifyouknowthattherewassomethinginthebox，perhapsyouwilltellmewhatthatsomethingwas。“
Heeyedmedoubtfully。Then，advancing，helaiduponmyarmahandwhichpositivelytrembled。
“Tress，you——youwouldn’tplaytricksonanoldfriend。“
“Youareright，Pugh，Iwouldn’t，thoughIbelievetherehavebeenoccasionsonwhichyouhavehaddoubtsuponthesubject。Bytheway，Pugh，IbelievethatIamtheoldestfriendyouhave。“
“I——Idon’tknowaboutthat。There’s——there’sBrasher。“
“Brasher！Who’sBrasher？Youwouldn’tcomparemyfriendshiptothefriendshipofsuchamanasBrasher？Thinkofthetasteswehaveincommon，youandI。We’rebothcollectors。“
“Ye-es，we’rebothcollectors。“