Never before in his life had I seen him so anxious.
The diamonds were produced, with one surface of each slightly scored
by the cutters, so as to show the water. Then a curious result
disclosed itself. Strange to say, each of the three diamonds given
to the three diamond kings turned out to be a most inferior and
valueless stone; while each of the three intrusted to the care of
the scientific investigators turned out to be a fine gem of the
purest quality.
I confess it was a sufficiently suspicious conjunction. The three
representatives of the diamond interest gazed at each other with
inquiring side-glances. Then their eyes fell suddenly: they avoided
one another. Had each independently substituted a weak and inferior
natural stone for Professor Schleiermacher's manufactured pebbles?
It almost seemed so. For a moment, I admit, I was half inclined to
suppose it. But next second I changed my mind. Could a man of Sir
Charles Vandrift's integrity and high principle stoop for lucre's
sake to so mean an expedient?--not to mention the fact that, even if
he did, and if Mosenheimer did likewise, the stones submitted to the
scientific men would have amply sufficed to establish the reality
and success of the experiments!
Still, I must say, Charles looked guiltily across at Mosenheimer,
and Mosenheimer at Phipson, while three more uncomfortable or
unhappy-faced men could hardly have been found at that precise
minute in the City of Westminster.
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