"Well, I wasn't sure, of course" began the young law student "but——"
"Of course I didn't look at all the stones," broke in Mr. Nelson, and the talk was instantly hushed to listen to him, "but I picked several out at random, and made sure of them. And it is fair to assume in a packet of stones like this that, if one is a diamond, the others are also."
"And how much are they worth?" asked Betty. She was not mercenary, but it did seem the most natural thing to ask.
"Well, it's hard to tell," her father replied. "At a rough guess I should say—oh, put it at fifty thousand dollars."
"Oh!" cried Mollie. "To think of it!"
"Catch me! I'm going to faint!" mocked Roy, leaning up against Will.
"Do you really think they are as valuable as that?" asked Amy, in a gentle voice.
"She helped find them, and she wants to reckon her share," said Mollie, who did not always make the most appropriate remarks.
"Nothing of the sort!" exclaimed Betty. "It's just the wonder of it all."
"I think fifty thousand dollars would be pretty close to the mark," said Mr. Nelson. "I once had to serve on a committee to value the contents of a jewelry store for an estate. I didn't know much about precious stones, but the others gave me some points, and I remember them. Of course I may be several thousands out of the way, but——"