Mr. Van Hoeren deposited his plump figure in a convenient chair and looked round the circle of faces. "One thing there is I don't see in them newspapers, Mr. Pawle," he said in strongly nasal accents. "Maybe nobody don't know nothings about it, what? So I come to tell you what I know, see? Something!" "Very good of you, I'm sure," replied Mr. Pawle. "What may it be?" Mr. Van Hoeren made a significant grimace; it seemed to imply that there was a great deal to be told. "Some of us, my way, we know Mr. Ashton," he said. "In Hatton Garden, you understand. Dealers in diamonds, see? Me, and Haas, and Aarons, and one or two more. Business!" "You've done business with Mr. Ashton?" asked the old lawyer. "Just so!" "No--done nothing," replied Mr. Van Hoeren. "Not a shilling's worth. But we know him. He came down there. And we don't see nothing in them papers that we expected to see, and today two or three of us, we lunch together, and Haas, he says: 'Them lawyer men,' he says, 'they want information. You go and give it to 'em. So!" "Well--what is it?" demanded Mr. Pawle. Mr. Van Hoeren leaned forward and looked from one face to another. "Ashton," he said, "was carrying a big diamond about--in his pocketbook!" Mr. Armitstead let a slight exclamation escape his lips. Viner glanced at Mr. Pawle. And Mr. Pawle fastened his eyes on his latest caller. "Mr. Ashton was carrying a big diamond about in his pocketbook?" he said. "Ah--have you seen it?" "Several times I see it," replied Mr. Van Hoeren. "My trade, don't it? Others of us--we see it too." "He wanted to sell it?" suggested Mr. Pawle. "There ain't so many people could afford to buy it," said Mr. Van Hoeren. "Why!" exclaimed Mr. Pawle. "Was it so valuable, then?" The diamond merchant shrugged his shoulders and waved the gold-mounted umbrella which he was carefully nursing in his tightly-gloved hands. "Oh, well!" he answered. "Fifty or sixty thousand pounds it was worth--yes!" CHAPTER XII THE GREY MARE INN The three men who heard this announcement were conscious that at this point the Ashton case entered upon an entirely new phase. Armitstead's mind was swept clean away from the episode in Paris, Viner's from the revelations at Marketstoke, Mr. Pawle suddenly realized that here, at last, was something material and tangible which opened out all sorts of possibilities. And he voiced the thoughts of his two companions as he turned in amazement on the fat little man who sat complacently nursing his umbrella. "What!" he exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that Ashton was walking about London with a diamond worth fifty thousand pounds in his pocket? Incredible!" "Don't see nothing so very incredible about it," retorted Mr. Van Hoeren. "I could show you men what carries diamonds worth twice that much in their pockets about the Garden."