"But wouldn't the fellows get on to you, I mean the experts you hand
the jewels on to?"
As I have already told you, Jumbo knows next to nothing about diamonds,
so I felt safe enough in my romancing. "Not likely," I said. "The
paste jewels are first rate imitations at first. It's only after a
while that they lose their lustre. Of course if I was found out, I'd
pass the buck to the fellow who gave them to me. After the new work is
returned to the customer there's no danger until the work has to be
cleaned or repaired."
"How could a fellow keep all the different sizes and cuttings handy in
his pocket?" Jumbo asked.
"In his pocket!" I said scornfully. "He'd be spotted the first day!
You make the job last over night, see? Weigh, measure and test the
stone you want, and bring the phony stone to match it next morning."
Jumbo was breathing hard in his excitement. I suppose he saw an
endless vista of profits, the risk all mine. "But ain't the stones all
cut different?" he asked.
"Say, you want to know as much as I do," I said sarcastically.
He fawned on me. "You're dead right, 'boe. That's your private
affair."
After we had another drink or two I made believe to drop my guard
completely. I left out the ifs and the coulds and admitted that my
game at Dunsany's was as I had described it. To prove it I brought out
a couple of beautiful unset diamonds, which completed the conquest of
Jumbo.
"It's a cinch! a cinch!" he cried. "A couple of good men could make
fifty thousand a year easy and safe. Fifty thousand after the
commission was taken out."
"What commission?" I demanded.
"Thirty-three and a third per cent to them that disposes of the
stones," said Jumbo evasively.
I thought it wiser not to question Jumbo any farther in that direction
at present.
Jumbo went on enthusiastically. "You and me'll be pardners! This is
our little private graft. We won't let anybody else in, see? You on
the inside, me out, we were made for each other!"
The coyer I made out to be, the more friendly was Jumbo.
Finally, coming down to practical matters, he asked me what the stones
were worth. I told him the market value.
"Of course I can't get anything like near that," he said. "But I'll
make the best dicker I can. I'll let you know before I close with
them."
After some more persuasion I finally handed over the stones. I knew he
wouldn't play me false as long as he thought there were larger gains in
prospect.
We haggled for an hour over the division of the profits. I
passionately refused to consider fifty-fifty, since the work and the
risk were all mine. Half a dozen times the budding partnership seemed
about to end. We finally agreed on sixty and forty. By holding out as
I did, I believe I have lulled Jumbo's suspicions forever.
The compact was cemented with a drink.
We talked on about diamonds, and I saw a new idea form and grow in
Jumbo's little swimming eyes. Studying me speculatively, he put me
through a lengthy cross-examination concerning my knowledge of precious
stones.
"You're one of these here experts yourself, ain't you?" he said at last.