an estimate of the selling value of each piece. I need not
say that they ought all to be reset in the prevailing fashion; but
the gold, which is in some cases unnecessarily massive, will go some
distance towards defraying the expense."

"When shall I call again?" Mark asked.

"I should be glad if you can give me a week," the jeweler said. "Some
of the things, for instance that great pearl necklace, I could appraise
without much difficulty, but all the gems must be taken out of their
settings before I could form a fair idea of their value."

"Then I will call in a week's time," Mark said. "I am in no particular
hurry about them, but I would rather that they were in your care than
mine."

"Yes, if the cracksmen got word that there was such a collection as this
in any private house it would need a couple of men with pistols to keep
guard over them."

A week later Mark again called.

"I have the list ready for you, sir; you will see that they are not
marked according to their setting, but according to their size and
value. Thus, you see, the largest stones are priced separately; the
smaller ones are in groups according to their weight. The total comes
to 42,000 pounds. I do not know whether that at all equals your
expectations. I may say that I have shown the stones to two or three of
our principal diamond merchants, and that the prices I have put down are
those at which they would be willing to buy them; possibly some would be
worth more. I had the merchants here together, and they spent some hours
going through them, and the sums put down are those at which one or
other were willing to purchase."

"It quite answers my expectations," Mark said. "My uncle's estimate,
indeed, was somewhat higher, but doubtless he judged them at the price
which they would fetch in India. Well, sir, I authorize you to close
with the offers, and to dispose of them for me. I will give you a
written authority to do so. In the meantime, I wish to buy a suite of
jewels as a wedding present, a tiara, necklace, and bracelets; but I do
not want any diamonds to be among them."

"I am afraid I have nothing in stock without diamonds; of course, I have
both necklaces and bracelets of almost any stones that you might select,
but I have no complete set without diamonds; the effect would be somber,
and few ladies would like them."

"We have some unpleasant associations with diamonds," Mark said, "and
on that point I am quite determined; but if you