"It occurs to me that such extraordinary statements as these demand immediate proof." Mr.Wynne turned and smiled at him.
"You are quite right," he agreed; and then, to all of them: "It's hardly necessary to dwell upon the value of colored diamonds--the rarest and most precious of all--the perfect rose-color, the perfect blue and the perfect green." He drew a small, glazed white box from his pocket and opened it.

"Please be good enough to look at this, Mr.
Czenki." He spun a rosily glittering object some three-quarters of an inch in diameter, along the table toward Mr.Czenki.

It flamed and flashed as it rolled, with that deep iridescent blaze which left no doubt of what it was.

Every man at the table arose and crowded about Mr.
Czenki, who held a flamelike sphere in his outstretched palm for their inspection.

There was a tense, breathless instant.
"It's a diamond!" remarked Mr.Czenki, as if he himself had doubted it.