“Mostly. Not all.”

“You would recognize some of them if you saw them?”

“Yes indeed. Some could be changed only by re-cutting. Even some of those that were set were of odd cut and size—some from a diamond necklace which belonged to a—”

There was something peculiar in both his tone and manner as he cut short the words.

“To whom?” asked Kennedy casually.

“Oh, once to a well-known woman in society,” he said carefully. “It is mine, though, now—at least it was mine. I should prefer to mention no names. I will give a description of the stones.”

“Mrs. Lynn Moulton, for instance?” suggested Craig quietly.

Schloss jumped almost as if a burglar alarm had sounded under his very ears. “How did you know? Yes—but it was a secret. I made a large loan on it, and the time has expired.”

“Why did she need money so badly?” asked Kennedy.

“How should I know?” demanded Schloss.