CHAPTER IV

THE UNLIMITED SUPPLY

“If you will all be seated again, please?” requested Mr. Wynne, who still stood, cool and self-certain, at the end of the table.

The sound of his voice brought a returning calm to the others, and they resumed their seats—­all save Mr. Cawthorne, who walked over to a window with the three spheres in his hand and stood there examining them under his glass.

“You gentlemen know, of course, the natural shape of the diamond in the rough?” Mr. Wynne resumed questioningly.  “Here are a dozen specimens which may interest you—­the octahedron, the rhombic dodecahedron, the triakisoctahedron and the hexakisoctahedron.”  He spread them along the table with a sweeping gesture of his hand, colorless, inert pebbles, ranging in size from a pea to a peanut.  “And now, you ask, where do they come from?”

The others nodded unanimously.

“I’ll have to state a fact that you all know, as part answer to that question,” replied Mr. Wynne.  “A perfect diamond is a perfect diamond, no matter where it comes from—­Africa, Brazil, India or New Jersey.  There is not the slightest variation in value if the stone is perfect.  That being true, it is a matter of no concern to you, as dealers, where these come from—­sufficient it is that they are here, and, being here, they bring home to you the necessity of concerted action to uphold the diamond as a thing of value.”

“You said der vorld’s oudpud had been increased fiftyfold?” suggested Mr. Schultze.  “Do ve understand you prove him by dese?”

The young man smiled slightly and drew a leather packet from an inner pocket.  He stripped it of several rubber bands, and then turned to Mr. Czenki again.

“Mr. Czenki, I have been told that a few years ago you had an opportunity of examining the Koh-i-noor.  Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“I believe the Koh-i-noor was temporarily removed from its setting, and that you were one of three experts to whom was intrusted the task of selecting four stones of the identical coloring to be set alongside it?”

“That is correct,” Mr. Czenki agreed.

“You held the Koh-i-noor in your hand, and you would be able to identify it?”

“I would be able to identify it,” said Mr. Cawthorne positively.

He had turned at the window quickly; it was the first time he had spoken.  Mr. Wynne walked around the table to Mr. Czenki, and Mr. Cawthorne approached them.

“Suppose, then, you gentlemen examine this together,” suggested Mr. Wynne.

He lifted a great glittering jewel from the leather packet and held it aloft that all might see.  Then he carefully placed it on the table in front of the experts; the others came to their feet and stood gazing as if fascinated.

“By Jove!” exclaimed Mr. Cawthorne.

For a minute or more the two experts studied the huge diamond—­one hundred and six carats and a fraction—­beneath their glasses, and finally Mr. Cawthorne picked it up and led the way toward the window.  Mr. Czenki and the German followed him.