pect that the person who placed that diamond inside that
puzzle intended to have a joke at the expense of the person who discovered
it. What was to be the nature of the joke is more than I can say at
present, but I should like to have a bet with you that the man who
compounded that puzzle was an ingenious practical joker. I may be wrong,
Pugh; we shall see. But, until I have proved the contrary, I don't believe
that the maddest man that ever lived would throw away a diamond worth,
apparently, shall we say a thousand pounds?"

"A thousand pounds! This diamond is worth a good deal more than a thousand
pounds."

"Well, that only makes my case the stronger; I don't believe that the
maddest man that ever lived would throw away a diamond worth more than a
thousand pounds with such utter wantonness as seems to have characterized
the action of the original owner of the stone which I found in your
ninepenny puzzle, Pugh."

"There have been some eccentric characters in the world, some very
eccentric characters. However, as you say, we shall see. I fancy that I
know somebody who would be quite willing to have such a diamond as this,
and who, moreover, would be willing to pay a fair price for its
possession; I will take it to him and see what he says."

"Pugh, hand me back that diamond."

"My dear Tress, I was only going--"

Bob came in with the breakfast tray.

"Pugh, you will either hand me that at once, or Bob shall summon the
representatives of law and order."

He handed me the diamond. I sat down to breakfast with a hearty appetite.
Pugh stood and scowled at me.

"Joseph Tress, it is my solemn conviction, and I have no hesitation in
saying so in plain English, that you're a thief."

"My dear Pugh, it seems to me that we show every promise of becoming a
couple of thieves."

"Don't bracket me with you!"

"Not at all, you are worse than I. It is you who decline to return the
contents of the box to its proper owner. Put it to yourself, you have
_some_ common sense, my dear old friend!--do you suppose that a diamond
worth more than a thousand pounds is to be _honestly_ bought for
ninepence?"

He resumed his old trick of dancing about the room.

"I was a fool ever to let you have the box! I ought to have known better
than to have trusted you; goodness knows you have given me sufficient
cause to mistrust you! Over and over again! Your character is only too
notorious! You have plundered friend and foe alike--friend a