"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."
"That's business," said Mr. Pawle. "I've heard of such things--but you
all know each other over there, I'm told. Ashton wasn't a diamond
merchant. God bless me--he was probably murdered for that stone!"
"That's just what I come to you about, eh?" suggested Mr. Van Hoeren.
"You see 'tain't nothing if he show that diamond to me, and such as me;
we don't think nothing of that--all in our way of business. But if he
gets showing it to other people, in public places--what?"
"Just so!" asserted Mr. Pawle. "Sheer tempting of Providence! I'm amazed!
But--how did you get to know Mr. Ashton and to hear of this diamond? Did
he come to you?"
"Called on me at my office," answered Mr. Van Hoeren laconically. "Pulled
out the diamond and asked me what I thought it was worth. Well, I
introduce him to some of the other boys in the Garden, see? He show them
the diamond too.
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