So unconscious were the speakers of there being a listener that they made no attempt to lower their voices; and one in particular spoke with a strain of intense passion in his tones. His were the words which were the first which Bertie heard. "Fifty thousand pounds! Fifty thousand pounds! Ha, ha, ha!" The speaker repeated the words over and over again, bursting into a peal of laughter at the end. Another voice replied--a colder and more measured one. The new speaker spoke with a strong nasal accent. Bertie was not wise enough to know that by his speech he betrayed himself to be that new thing in nationalities, a German American. "Steady, my friend; fifty thousand pounds in jewels are not fifty thousand pounds in cash, especially when the jewels are such as these." The other went on unheeding. "Talk about punting on the Stock Exchange! There are precious few punters on the Stock Exchange who pick up fifty thousand pounds and walk off with it at a single coup." "And, also, there are very few punters on the Stock Exchange who would run the risk of getting penal servitude for life for doing it." "Yes, there's that to be considered." "As you say, there's that to be considered." "Do you think they'd make it penal servitude for life?" "I think it extremely probable, with your past history and mine." "Suppose it came to penal servitude for life, what then?" "Exactly! That is the question to be asked--'What then?'" "The Countess of Ferndale's jewels! lying on the table in front of me! and in my time I've run the risk of being sent to prison for a pocket-handkerchief." "But in that case you did not run the risk, my friend, of penal servitude for life, eh?' "Rosenheim, what are you driving at? Why do you keep harping upon that string? Do you think they'll nab us?" "They will have a very good try." "They have tried before and failed." "They have also tried before and--not failed." "Fifty thousand pounds! The finest set of jewels in England! insured for fifty thousand pounds--and that's a lot less than they cost--and we've got the insurance policy and the jewels too! Ha! ha! ha! Should we present the policy?" "We will be generous and return them that. Or, better still, we will keep the policy in case that anything should happen. Holding it, we might make terms with some one. There have such things been done, eh?" "Fifty thousand pounds! and they cost perhaps a hundred thousand in their time! Did you ever see such a necklace? Those diamonds remind me of fairy tales which I have read--if I were to put the lamp out they'd light the room." "Yes; but we will not put the lamp out, for fear some of the jewels should be lost--which would be a pity, eh?" "Did you ever see anything like those diamonds? See how they are flashing in the lamp-light--now look at them!"