Page:Marsh--The seen and the unseen.djvu/224

200 The corners of Mr. Hart's lips twitched. He smiled. "It's a deal."

It was. Mr. Hart left the Bond Street establishment with a cheque for three thousand pounds in his pocket, and in a red morocco case a set of very pretty diamond ornaments for a lady's hair. The stone which he had purchased from Mr, Tyrrel he left behind.

"Mr. Hart thinks himself a shrewd man," Mr. Ruby told himself when that gentleman had gone, "but he is not quite so shrewd as he thinks. This is the very stone the Duke is looking for. Unless I am mistaken, he will give us for it rather more than four thousand pounds."

About an hour after Mr. Golden entered Mr. Ruby's room. The senior partner rubbed his hands as the junior entered.

"I have been indulging in a little deal while you have been out—a little deal in diamonds."

The junior partner glanced sharply at the senior. In appearance Mr. Ruby was very different from Mr. Golden. Mr. Ruby was large and florid. Mr. Golden was slight and dark, with keen, bright eyes.

"I have lighted on the very stone we have been trying to find for the Duke, and I have bought it on the nail out and out."

"The deuce you have! What did you give for it?"

"Three thousand in cash and a thousand in stock."

"Let me look at it"

Mr. Golden held out his hand. Mr. Ruby produced the stone from the inner recesses of a large safe in a corner of the room. Mr. Golden took it to the window. He examined it minutely for some