The Countess handed him the case. Mr. Golden opened it. Mr. Ruby, leaning back in his chair, watched his partner examine the contents. The Countess watched him too. Mr. Golden took out one glittering ornament after another. Through a little microscope he peered into its inmost depths. He turned it over and over, and peered and peered, as though he would read its very heart. When he had concluded his examination he turned to the lady. "How came you to submit these ornaments to Mr. Ahrens?" "I don't mind telling you. Not in the least! I happened to want some money. I didn't care to ask the Earl for it. I thought of those things--you had charged me £800 for them, so I thought that he would let me have £200 upon them as a loan. When he told me that they were nothing but rubbish I thought I should have had a fit." "Where have they been in the interval between your purchasing them from us and your taking them to Mr. Ahrens?" "Where have they been? Where do you suppose they've been? They have been in my jewel case, of course." Mr. Golden replaced the ornaments in their satin beds. He closed the case. "Every inquiry shall be made into the matter, Countess, you may rest assured of that. We cannot afford to lose our money, any more than you can afford to lose your diamonds." Directly the lady's back was turned Mr. Ruby put a question to his partner. "Well, are they false?" "They are. It is a good imitation, one of the best imitations I remember to have seen. Still it is an imitation." "Do you--do you think she did it?" "That is more than I can say. Still, when a lady buys diamonds on Saturday, upon credit, and takes them to a pawnbroker on Tuesday, to raise money on them, one may be excused for having one's suspicions." While the partners were still discussing the matter, the door was opened by an assistant. "Mr. Gray wishes to see Mr. Ruby." Before Mr. Ruby had an opportunity of saying whether or not he wished to see Mr. Gray, rather unceremoniously Mr. Gray himself came in. "I should think I do want to see Mr. Ruby, and while I'm about it, I may as well see Mr. Golden too." Mr. Gray turned to the assistant, who still was standing at the open door. "You can go." The assistant looked at Mr. Ruby for instructions. "Yes Thompson, you can go." When Thompson was gone, and the door was closed, Mr. Gray, who wore his hat slightly on the side of his head, turned and faced the partners. He was a very young man, and was dressed in the extreme of fashion. Taking from his coat tail pocket the familiar leather case, he flung it on to the table with a bang. "I don't know what you call that, but I tell you what I call it. I call it a damned swindle." Mr. Ruby was shocked. "Mr. Gray! May I ask of what you are complaining?" "Complaining! I'm complaining of your selling me a thing for two thousand pounds which is not worth two thousand pence!"