Solomon, the crisply spoken head of Solomon, Berger and Company,
broke the silence.

"These all came yesterday morning by mail, one to each of us just as
the one came to you," he informed Mr. Latham. "Mr. Harris here, of
Harris and Blacklock, learned that I had received such a stone, and
brought the one he had received for comparison. We made some
inquiries together and found that a duplicate had been received by
Mr. Stoddard, of Hall-Stoddard-Higginson. The three of us came here
to see if Mr. Schultze could give us any information, and he
telephoned for you."

Mr. Latham listened blankly.

"It's positively beyond belief," he burst out. "What--what does it
mean?"

"Id means," the German importer answered philosophically, "dat if
diamonds like dese keep popping up like dis, dat in anoder d'ree
months dey vill nod be vorth more as five cents a bucketful."

The truth of the observation came to the four others simultaneously.
Hitherto there had been only the sense of wonder and admiration; now
came the definite knowledge that diamonds, even of such great size
and beauty as these, would grow cheap if they were to be picked out
of the void; and realization of this astonishing possibility brought
five shrewd business brains to a unit of investigation. First it
was necessary to find how many other jewelers had received
duplicates; then it was necessary to find whence they came. A plan
was adopted, and an investigation ordered to begin at once.