His friend the
jeweller of the Rue de la Paix had not given him a lesson in vain during
the previous afternoon.

The barrister suspected--in fact, he was almost sure--that the gems now
flaunting their half-revealed glories in the light of the day--for not
one of them had undergone the final process peculiar to the
diamond-cutter's trade--were not the real stones stolen from Albert
Gate, but well fabricated substitutes.

To his acute brain there came an immediate confirmation of his theory.
Evidently the diamonds had not been previously in the Turk's possession.
The little Frenchman had just delivered them, and this in itself was a
strange circumstance in view of the fact that the genuine stones must
have been in Paris at least three days.

Brett concentrated all his dramatic faculties in look, voice, and
gesture.

"You fools!" he cried. "You have been swindled by a device which a child
might suspect. These are not the Sultan's diamonds. These are
frauds--cleverly concocted bits of crystal and alum--intended to keep
you happy until you return to Constantinople and discover how thoroughly
you were deceived."

"You lie!" roared the little Frenchman. "They are genuine."

Brett wanted to punch the diminutive scoundrel heavily in the face, but
he restrained himself. Turning with a magnificent assumption of
courteousness to Hussein-ul-Mulk, he said--

"Come, I told you you were acting childishly; this proves it. A most
outrageous attempt has been made to swindle you, if I may use such a
term to persons who confessedly are plotting to rob another. Surely this
will convince you that you have nothing to fear from me. I am here as
the agent neither of Sultan nor police. It is a simple matter for you to
verify my statement. All that is necessary is for one of your party to
take any of these alleged diamonds--I would suggest the smallest one so
as not to create suspicion--to any jeweller in the district, and he will
test it for you immediately, thus proving the truth of my statement.
Look here; I will convince you myself."

He took the monster diamond irreverently in his hand before
Hussein-ul-Mulk could prevent him and turned to the window. He pressed
the stone against the glass and tried to make it cut. It failed. He
placed it against his cheek. It was warm. A pure diamond would be icy
cold. More than this, a small portion of the composition of which the
imitation had been hastily concocted, broke off in his fingers.