"Just so, Mr. Hewitt--reg'lar pishness. And after that two or three little parcels of tiamonts he bought--for American customers, he says. But he says he can do bigger pishness soon. Ay, so he has--goot heavens, he has! But I tell you. I do also one or two small pishnesses with him, and that is all right--he treat me very well and I pay when it suits. Then he says, 'Samuel,' he says, very friendly now inteet, 'Samuel, could you get a nice large lot of tiamonts for an American customer I expect here soon?' And I say, 'Of course I can.' 'Enough,' he says, 'to fit out a rich man's wife--that is, to pegin. He is not long rich, and he will want more soon--ah, she will make him pay! But to pegin--a good fit-out of tiamonts, eh?' "I tell him yes, and I offer usual commission. But no, says Denson, he wants no commission; he will make his own profit. That I don't mind so long as I get mine; so I agree to put the tiamonts in at a price. The American, he says, is to come over about a big company deal, and when it is through he will pay well. So last week I pring a peautiful collection all cut but unset, and I wait out in that room while Denson shows them to his customer." "You mean you let them out of your sight?" "Yes--that is not so uncommon; reg'lar pishness. You see I was out here--this is the only way out. Denson was in the inner office with the stones and the American. Neither could get out without passing here. And I had done pishness with him alretty." "Well?" "You see I wait downstairs with my case--this case--till Denson sends down. He doesn't want me to show--fery natural, you see, in pishness. When I sell to make a profit, perhaps for somebody else, I don't want that somebody to know my customer, else he sells direct and I lose my profit--fery natural. See?" "Of course, I understand. It's a point of business among you gentlemen to keep your own customers to yourselves. And often, no doubt, diamonds pass through several hands before reaching the eventual customer, leaving a profit in each." "Always, Mr. Hewitt--always, you might say. Well, you see, Denson sends down that his customer is in, and I come up. Denson comes out from the inner office, takes my case, and I wait in there." The case which Samuel showed Hewitt was of black leather, perhaps eighteen inches long by a foot wide. The arrangement of the office was simple. In this, the outer room, a small space was partitioned off by means of a ground glass screen, and it was in there that Samuel meant that he had waited.