ps, he halted.

"I--I hope, Tress, that you're--you're going to play no tricks on me?"

"Tricks on you! Is it likely that I am going to play tricks upon my oldest
friend?"

When he had gone--he vanished, it seemed to me, with a somewhat doubtful
visage--I took the crystal to the window. I drew the blind. I let the
sunshine fall on it. I examined it again, closely and minutely, with the
aid of my pocket lens. It _was_ a diamond; there could not be a doubt of
it. If, with my knowledge of stones, I was deceived, then I was deceived
as never man had been deceived before. My heart beat faster as I
recognized the fact that I was holding in my hand what was, in all
probability, a fortune for a man of moderate desires. Of course, Pugh knew
nothing of what I had discovered, and there was no reason why he should
know. Not the least! The only difficulty was that if I kept my own
counsel, and sold the stone and utilized the proceeds of the sale, I
should have to invent a story which would account for my sudden accession
to fortune. Pugh knows almost as much of my affairs as I do myself. That
is the worst of these old friends!

When I joined Pugh I found him dancing up and down the floor like a bear
upon hot plates. He scarcely allowed me to put my nose inside the door
before attacking me.

"Tress, give me what was in the box."

"My dear Pugh, how do you know that there was something in the box to give
you?"

"I know there was!"

"Indeed! If you know that there was something in the box, perhaps you will
tell me what that something was."

He eyed me doubtfully. Then, advancing, he laid upon my arm a hand which
positively trembled.

"Tress, you--you wouldn't play tricks on an old friend."

"You are right, Pugh, I wouldn't, though I believe there have been
occasions on which you have had doubts upon the subject. By the way, Pugh,
I believe that I am the oldest friend you have."

"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!