what the effect of the news would be at the fields. Fugger, the father
of the diamond industry, was standing discussing the question, when a
little rosy-faced Jew, named Goldschmidt, came bustling up to him.
He was much excited, for he speculated in stones, and had just been
buying in for a rise.

"Misther Fugger," he cried, "you're shust the man I want to see.
My Gott, vot is to become of us all? Vot is to become of de diamond
trade ven one can pick them up like cockles on the sea shore?"

"We must wait for details," the great financier said phlegmatically.
His fortune was so enormous that it mattered little to him whether the
report was true or false.

"Details! It is nothing but details," cried the little Jew.
"The papers is full of them. I vish to the Lord that that Langworthy
had proke his neck in the Ural Mountains before he got up to any such
games. Vat business had he to go examining gravel and peeping about in
such places as them. Nobody that's any good would ever go to the Ural
Mountains at all."

"It won't hurt you," Fugger said; "you'll simply have to pay less for
your stones and sell them cheaper after they are cut. It won't make
much difference in the long run."

"Von't it, by Joves! Why, man, I've got over a hundred shtones on my
hands now. Vat am I going to do vid 'em."

"Ah, that's a bad job. You must make up your mind to lose on them."

"Von't you buy them yourself, Mr. Fugger?" asked the Hebrew, in an
insinuating voice. "Maybe this here story will all turn out wrong.
S'elp me bob I gave three thousand for the lot, and you shall have them
for two. Let's have a deal, my tear Mr. Fugger, do?"

"No more for me, thank you," Fugger said with decision. "As to the
story being wrong, I have telegraphed to Rotterdam, and they have sent
on a trusty man. He'll be weeks, however, before we hear from him."

"Here's Mr. Girdlestone, the great Mr. Girdlestone," cried Goldschmidt,
perceiving our worthy merchant of Fenchurch Street among the crowd.
"Oh, Misther Girdlestone, I've got diamonds here what is worth three
thousand pounds, and you shall have them for two--you shall, by chingo,
and we'll go together now and get them?"

"Don't pester me!" said Girdlestone, brushing the little Jew aside with
his long, bony arm. "Can I have a word with you, Fugger?"

"Certainly," replied the diamond dealer. Girdlestone was a very
well-known man upon 'Change, and one who was universally respected and