“Und if dey are nod on der Custom House records,” he continued slowly, “und dey are nod smuggled in, den, Laadham, den—­Mein Gott, man, don’d you see?”

“See what?”

“Den dey are produced in dis country!”

For a minute or two Mr. Latham sat perfectly still, gazing into the other’s eyes.  First he was startled, then this gave way to incredulity, and at last he shook his head.

“No,” he said flatly.  “No.”

“Laadham, ve Amerigans produce anyding,” the German went on patiently.  “In eighdeen hundred und forty-eight ve didn’t know California vas full of gold; und so late as eighdeen hundred und ninedy-four ve didn’t know der Klondike vas full of gold.  Der greadest diamond fields ve know now are in Africa, bud in eighdeen hundred und sixty-six ve didn’t know id!  Dere iss no reason ve should nod produce diamonds.”

“But look here, Schultze,” Mr. Latham expostulated, “it’s—­it’s unheard of.”

“So vas der Mizzizzippi River until id was discovered,” the German argued complacently.  “You are a diamond dealer, Laadham, bud you don’d know much aboud dem from whey dey come at.  Iss Czenki here?  Send for him.  He knows more aboud diamonds as any man vat ever lived.”

Mr. Latham sent an office boy for Czenki, who a few minutes later appeared with an inquiry in his beady black eyes and a nod of recognition for Mr. Schultze.

“Sid down, Mr. Czenki,” the German invited.  “Sid down und draw a long breath, und den dell Mr. Laadham here someding aboud diamonds.”

“What is it, please?” Mr. Czenki asked of Mr. Latham.

“Mr. Czenki, have you any very definite idea as to where those diamonds came from?” asked Mr. Latham.

“No,” was the unhesitating response.

“Is it possible that they might have been found in the—­in the United States?” Mr. Latham went on.

“Certainly.  They might have been found anywhere.”

“As a matter of fact, were any diamonds ever found in the United States?”

“Yes, frequently.  One very large diamond was found in 1855 at Manchester, across the James River from Richmond, Virginia.  It weighed twenty-four carats when cut, and is the largest, I believe, ever found in this country.”

Mr. Latham seemed surprised.

“Why, you astonish me,” he remarked.

“Vait a minute und he’ll astonish you some more,” Mr. Schultze put in confidently.  “Vere else in der United States haf diamonds been found, Czenki?”

“In California, in North Carolina, and in Hall County, Georgia,” replied the expert readily.  “There is good ground for the belief that the stone found at Richmond had been washed down from the mountains farther in the interior, and, if this is true, there is a substantial basis for the scientific hypothesis that diamond fields lie somewhere in the Appalachian Range, because the diamonds found in both North Carolina and Georgia were adjacent to these mountains.”  He paused a moment.  “This is all a matter of record.”