"You know, Laadham," he said slowly, "dey don't pick up diamonds
like dose on der streed gorners. I didn't believe dere vas a stone
of so bigness in der Unided States whose owner I didn't know id vas.
Dose dat are here I haf bring in myself, mostly--dose I did not I haf
kept drack of. I don'd know, Laadham, I don'd know. Der longer I
lif der more I don'd know."

The two men completed a scant luncheon in silence.

"Obviously," remarked Mr. Latham as he laid his napkin aside, "the
diamonds were sent to us by the same person; obviously they were sent
to us with a purpose; obviously we will, in time, hear from the
person who sent them; obviously they were intended to be perfectly
matched; so let's see if they are. Come to my office and let Czenki
examine the one you have." He hesitated an instant. "Suppose you
let me take it. We'll try a little experiment."

He carefully placed the jewel which the German handed to him, in an
outside pocket, and together they went to his office. Mr. Czenki
appeared, in answer to a summons, and Mr. Latham gave him the
German's box.

"That's the diamond you examined for me this morning, isn't it?" he
inquired.

Mr. Czenki turned it out into his hand and scrutinized it
perfunctorily.

"Yes," he replied after a moment.