After we had another drink or two I made believe to drop my guard completely. I left out the ifs and the coulds and admitted that my game at Dunsany's was as I had described it. To prove it I brought out a couple of beautiful unset diamonds, which completed the conquest of Jumbo.
"It's a cinch! a cinch!" he cried. "A couple of good men could make fifty thousand a year easy and safe. Fifty thousand after the commission was taken out."
"What commission?" I demanded.
"Thirty-three and a third per cent to them that disposes of the stones," said Jumbo evasively.
I thought it wiser not to question Jumbo any farther in that direction at present.
Jumbo went on enthusiastically. "You and me'll be pardners! This is our little private graft. We won't let anybody else in, see? You on the inside, me out, we were made for each other!"
The coyer I made out to be, the more friendly was Jumbo.
Finally, coming down to practical matters, he asked me what the stones were worth. I told him the market value.
"Of course I can't get anything like near that," he said. "But I'll make the best dicker I can. I'll let you know before I close with them."
After some more persuasion I finally handed over the stones. I knew he wouldn't play me false as long as he thought there were larger gains in prospect.