The deep still red of the rubies, the clear scintillating green of the emeralds, the hard glitter of the diamonds, the many shifting shades of beryls, of amethysts, of onyxes, of cats'-eyes, of opals, of agates, of cornelians seemed to fill the whole chamber with a vague twinkling, many-coloured light.

Long slabs of the beautiful blue lapis lazuli, magnificent bloodstones, specimens of pink and red and white coral, long strings of lustrous pearls, all these were tossed out by their owner as a careless schoolboy might pour marbles from his bag.
"This isn't bad," he said, holding up a great glowing yellow mass as large as his own head.

"It is really a very fine piece of amber.

It was forwarded to me by my agent at the Baltic.

Twenty-eight pounds, it weighs.