"Yes, blue, and a good color, but not so beautiful nor so rare, as this shade of green. This is a wonder." And as he spoke he turned the stone in every light. "It's a marvelous thing. Marvelous! Almost unbelievable!"
"Can you tell me," said Cyrus, "about how much it is worth?"
Mr. Bressani shrugged his shoulders: "Anything."
"You mean," said the Senior Partner, "it would be impossible to guess, even approximately, at its value?"
"Yes. For you know the value of diamonds is speculative—depending on many conditions; size, shape, purity, color—and how they cut. The Victoria—one hundred and eighty carats—was sold for four hundred thousand pounds. But diamonds were rarer then. This, when properly cut into the right number of stones, would bring more than three million dollars."
William, in his enthusiasm, slapped his friend on the back. "Well, old man, you have struck it rich this time."
The calm-eyed Cyrus smiled and nodded.
"Then this diamond of mine," he said, "would be ten times bigger than the Koh-i-noor or any of those other stones?"
"Yes, sir."
"Isn't there a famous Sancy diamond?"