"A hundred dollars apiece," guessed Mark.
"If the diamonds were genuine, one would be worth three hundred and fifty dollars and the other four hundred."
"Are they not genuine?" asked Mark in surprise.
"Paste, my boy, paste. The gold, however, is real. Instead of being worth the sum mentioned, one is worth perhaps three dollars and a half, the other four dollars."
"But I shouldn't think it would be worth your while to keep false diamond rings."
"Nor would it if all persons were honest. I never sell them. I only sell genuine jewelry. I will let you understand the use I mean to make of them. These two rings I mean to have you carry to Mrs. Montgomery on Forty-Seventh Street."
"But suppose she takes them for genuine?"
"Then I will make them so. In other words, I will take out the paste diamonds and replace them with real stones. If on the other hand any fraud is intended it won't benefit her much."
"Very well, sir. I think I understand."
"You must to a certain extent exercise your own discretion. I judged from the observations I made the other afternoon that you are a boy who possesses that important quality."