However that may be, Miss Briggs became the Princess von Steinheimer, and brought to Austria with her a million dollars in gold and the diamonds, which her father gave as dowry; but, of course, being an only child, she will come in for the rest of his money when the railway magnate dies." "Is he likely to die soon?
I don't suppose the Prince gave himself away for a mere million." "Oh, you forget the diamonds.

As to the likelihood of old Briggs's death, it didn't strike me as imminent when I had a conversation with him yesterday." "Yesterday?
Is he here in London, then ?" "Yes; he has come over to disentangle the mystery about the diamonds." "And what is the mystery?
You take a dreadful long time to tell a story, Mr.Hardwick." "The story is important, and it must be told in detail, otherwise you may go on a long journey for nothing.

Are you taking down what I say in shorthand?
That is right, and if you are wise you will not transcribe your notes so that anyone can read them; they are safer in that form.
The von Steinheimer family have two residences, a house in Vienna and an ancient castle in the Tyrol, situated on the heights above Meran, a most picturesque place, I understand; but very shortly you will know more about it than I do, because the _Bugle_ expects you to go there as its special correspondent.

Here the diamond robbery took place something like two months ago, and the affair is still as great a mystery as ever.
The Princess was to open the season at Meran, which is a fashionable resort, by giving a fancy dress ball in Schloss Steinheimer, to which all the Austrian and foreign notables were invited.

It was just before the ball began that the diamonds were first missed--in fact, the Princess was about to put them on, she representing some gorgeously decorated character from the Arabian Nights, when the discovery was made that the diamonds were gone.