Page:Knaves of Diamonds.pdf/161

 as they will all probably seem pretty strange to you. Now, for instance, I saw you looking at two of my curios when I came in. You would hardly expect them to be associated, and very intimately too, with about the most daring and skilfully planned diamond robbery that ever took place on the Fields, or off them, for the matter of that, would you?"

"Hardly," I said. "And yet I think I have learned enough of the devious ways of the I.D.B. to be prepared for a perfectly logical explanation of the fact."

"As logical as I think I may fairly say romantic," replied the inspector, as he set his glass down. "In one sense it was the most ticklish problem that I've ever had to tackle. Of course, you've heard some version or other of the disappearance of the Great De Beers' Diamond?"

"I should rather think I had!" I said, with a decided thrill of pleasurable anticipation,