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“I–I don’t know about that. There’s–there’s Brasher.”

“Brasher! Who’s Brasher? You wouldn’t compare my friendship to the friendship of such a man as Brasher? Think of the tastes we have in common, you and I. We’re both collectors.”

“Ye-es, we’re both collectors.”

“I make my interests yours, and you make your interests mine. Isn’t that so, Pugh?”

“Tress, what–what was in the box?”

“I will be frank with you, Pugh. If there had been something in the box, would you have been willing to go halves with me in my discovery?”

“Go halves! In your discovery, Tress! Give me what is mine!”

“With pleasure, Pugh, if you will tell me what is yours.”

“If–if you don’t give me what was in the box I’ll–I’ll send for the police.”

“Do! Then I shall be able to hand to them what was in the box in order that it may be restored to its proper owner.”

“Its proper owner! I’m its proper owner!”

“Excuse me, but I don’t understand how that can be; at least, until the police have made inquiries. I should say that the proper owner was the person from whom you purchased the box, or, more probably, the person from whom he purchased it, and by whom, doubtless, it was sold in ignorance, or by mistake. Thus, Pugh, if you will only send for the police, we shall earn the gratitude of a person of whom we never heard in our lives–I for discovering the contents of the box, and you for returning them.”

As I said this, Pugh’s face was a study. He gasped for breath. He actually took out his handkerchief to wipe his brow.

“Tress, I–I don’t think you need to use a tone like that to me. It isn’t friendly. What–what was in the box?”

“Let us understand each other, Pugh. If you don’t hand over what was in the box to the police, I go halves.”

Pugh began to dance about the floor.

“What a fool I was to trust you with the box! I knew I couldn’t trust you.” I said nothing. I turned and rang the bell. “What’s that for?”

“That, my dear Pugh, is for breakfast, and, if you desire it, for the police. You know, although you have breakfasted, I haven’t. Perhaps while I am breaking my fast, you would like to summon the representatives of law and order.” Bob came in. I ordered breakfast. Then I turned to Pugh. “Is there anything you would like?”

“No, I–I’ve breakfasted.”

“It wasn’t of breakfast I was thinking. It was of–something else. Bob is at your service, if, for instance, you wish to send him on an errand.”

“No, I want nothing. Bob can go.” Bob went. Directly he was gone, Pugh turned to me. “You shall have half. What was in the box?”

“I shall have half?”

“You shall!”

“I don’t think it is necessary that the terms of our little understanding should be expressly embodied in black and white. I fancy that, under the circumstance, I can trust you, Pugh. I believe that I am capable of seeing that, in this matter, you don’t do me. That was in the box.”

I held out the crystal between my finger and thumb.

“What is it?”

“That is what I desire to learn.”

“Let me look at it.”

“You are welcome to look at it where it is. Look at it as long as you like, and as closely.”

Pugh leaned over my hand. His eyes began to gleam. He is himself not a bad judge of precious stones, is Pugh.

“It’s–it’s–Tress!–is it a diamond?”

“That question I have already asked myself.”

“Let me look at it! It will be safe with me! It’s mine!”

I immediately put the thing behind my back.

“Pardon me, it belongs neither to you nor to me. It belongs, in all probability, to the person who sold that puzzle to the man from whom you bought it–perhaps some weeping widow, Pugh, or hopeless orphan–think of it. Let us have no further misunderstanding upon that point, my dear old friend. Still, because you are my dear old friend, I am willing to trust you with this discovery of mine, on condition that you don’t attempt to remove it from my sight, and that you return it to me the moment I require you.”