"What is the information you require?
Has there been another big robbery of stones, and you think it possible that some of them may have come into our hands ?" "There certainly has been a robbery," I replied, "and the stones may have been offered to you, but not in the way you mean.

The fact of the matter is, I want to discover whether or not a large consignment of uncut rubies and sapphires of great value have been placed upon the market within the last two months." "Uncut rubies and sapphires are being continually placed upon the market," he observed, leaning back in his chair and rattling his keys.
"But not such stones as those I am looking for," I said, and furnished him with the rough weights that had been supplied to me.
"This is interesting--decidedly interesting," he remarked.

"Especially since it serves to offer an explanation on a certain matter in which we have been interested for some little time past.

On the sixteenth of last month, a gentleman called upon us here, who stated that he had lately returned from the Far East.

He had had, so he declared, the good fortune to discover a valuable mine, the locality of which he was most careful not to disclose.