Mr. Golden picked up a necklace of diamonds from a case which lay open on the table, whose charms Mr. Ruby had been recently exhibiting to that difficult great lady. "Ruby!--Good Heavens!"
"Wha-what's the matter?"
"They're paste!"
Mr. Golden was staring at the necklace as though it were some hideous thing.
"Paste!--G-G-Golden!" Mr. Ruby positively trembled. "That's Kesteeven's necklace which he brought in this morning to see if we could find a customer for it."
"I'm quite aware that this was Kesteeven's necklace. Now it would be dear at a ten-pound note."
"A ten-pound note! He wants ten thousand guineas! It's not more than an hour since he brought it--no one can have touched it."
"Ruby, don't talk nonsense! I saw Kesteeven's necklace when he brought it, I see this thing now. This is not Kesteeven's necklace--it has been changed!"
"Golden!"
"To whom have you shown this necklace?"