“All except those in the first lot, which I have sold.”
“Get them.”
The Hebrew arose from the table and went over to a great safe in the corner. Opening this, he took out a small drawer, which he carried back and placed before the other two men. The contents of the drawer were hidden by a folded square of black velvet, and when this was removed and spread out on the polished mahogany, five small, insignificant-looking packets of white tissue paper were revealed.
With fingers that trembled a little, Meyer took up one of these packets, and, unfolding the paper, poured the contents out on the velvet square.
There was a glittering cascade of light as they streamed down onto the velvet and lay against the black surface, a blazing mass, catching the light from a thousand facets, gleaming with a wonderful fire, until even Herman Spreckles could not suppress an exclamation of admiration, as he leaned forward and plucked one between thumb and forefinger.
“A diamond of the first water,” he said slowly, examining it intently. “And you tell me that has been made by the hand of man? I won’t believe it.”
He turned to Pickering, who stood behind his chair.
“Look it over, James,” he said, “and let us know what you think of it.”
The expert’s face was slightly pale and his eyes very bright, but otherwise he betrayed no signs of emotion as he took the stone from the old man’s hand and carried it over to one of the windows. Here he fixed a glass in one eye and began a thorough inspection of the diamond.
Philander Morgan clasped his chubby hands together nervously.