Then he turned sternly, almost fiercely, upon the young man.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, in a threatening tone. "Did
you imagine you could cheat me in this miserable way? You have got hold
of the wrong customer if you did."

"What do you mean, sir?" inquired Mr. Cutler, amazed, but flushing
angrily at being addressed so uncivilly.

"These are not the stones you brought to me yesterday," said Mr. Arnold,
who was also very angry.

"Sir!" exclaimed Justin Cutler, aghast, but with haughty mien.

"They are nothing but paste," continued the jeweler, eyeing the beautiful
crescents with disdain; "and," he added, menacingly, "I've a mind to have
you arrested on the spot for attempting to obtain money under false
pretenses."

Mr. Cutler grew pale at this with mingled anger and a sudden fear.

He reached across the counter and took the case from Mr. Arnold's hand.

He turned the stones to the light.

At the first glance they seemed to be all right--he could detect nothing
wrong; for aught that he could see the crescents were the same which he
had submitted to the merchant the day before. But as he studied them more
closely the gleam of the gems was entirely different--the fire of the