“Imakemyinterestsyours，andyoumakeyourinterestsmine。
　　Isn’tthatso，Pugh？“
　　“Tress，what——whatwasinthebox？“
　　“Iwillbefrankwithyou，Pugh。Iftherehadbeensomethinginthebox，wouldyouhavebeenwillingtogohalveswithmeinmydiscovery？“
　　“Gohalves！Inyourdiscovery，Tress！Givemewhatismine！“
　　“Withpleasure，Pugh，ifyouwilltellmewhatisyours。“
　　“If——ifyoudon’tgivemewhatwasintheboxI’ll——I’llsendforthepolice。“
　　“Do！ThenIshallbeabletohandtothemwhatwasintheboxinorderthatitmayberestoredtoitsproperowner。“
　　“Itsproperowner！I’mitsproperowner！“
　　“Excuseme，butIdon’tunderstandhowthatcanbe；atleast，untilthepolicehavemadeinquiries。Ishouldsaythattheproperownerwasthepersonfromwhomyoupurchasedthebox，or，moreprobably，thepersonfromwhomhepurchasedit，andbywhom，doubtless，itwassoldinignorance，orbymistake。Thus，Pugh，ifyouwillonlysendforthepolice，weshallearnthegratitudeofapersonofwhomweneverheardinourlives——Ifordiscoveringthecontentsofthebox，andyouforreturningthem。“
　　AsIsaidthis，Pugh’sfacewasastudy。Hegaspedforbreath。Heactuallytookouthishandkerchieftowipehisbrow。
　　“Tress，I——Idon’tthinkyouneedtouseatonelikethattome。
　　Itisn’tfriendly。What——whatwasinthebox？“
　　“Letusunderstandeachother，Pugh。Ifyoudon’thandoverwhatwasintheboxtothepolice，Igohalves。“
　　Pughbegantodanceaboutthefloor。
　　“WhatafoolIwastotrustyouwiththebox！IknewIcouldn’ttrustyou。“Isaidnothing。Iturnedandrangthebell。“What’sthatfor？“
　　“That，mydearPugh，isforbreakfast，and，ifyoudesireit，forthepolice。Youknow，althoughyouhavebreakfasted，Ihaven’t。
　　PerhapswhileIambreakingmyfast，youwouldliketosummontherepresentativesoflawandorder。“Bobcamein。Iorderedbreakfast。ThenIturnedtoPugh。“Isthereanythingyouwouldlike？“
　　“No，I——I’vebreakfasted。“
　　“Itwasn’tofbreakfastIwasthinking。Itwasof——somethingelse。
　　Bobisatyourservice，if，forinstance，youwishtosendhimonanerrand。“
　　“No，Iwantnothing。Bobcango。“Bobwent。Directlyhewasgone，Pughturnedtome。“Youshallhavehalf。Whatwasinthebox？“
　　“Ishallhavehalf？“
　　“Youshall！“
　　“Idon’tthinkitisnecessarythatthetermsofourlittleunderstandingshouldbeexpresslyembodiedinblackandwhite。I
　　fancythat，underthecircumstance，Icantrustyou，Pugh。I
　　believethatIamcapableofseeingthat，inthismatter，youdon’tdome。Thatwasinthebox。“
　　Iheldoutthecrystalbetweenmyfingerandthumb。
　　“Whatisit？“
　　“ThatiswhatIdesiretolearn。“
　　“Letmelookatit。“
　　“Youarewelcometolookatitwhereitis。Lookatitaslongasyoulike，andasclosely。“
　　Pughleanedovermyhand。Hiseyesbegantogleam。Heishimselfnotabadjudgeofpreciousstones，isPugh。
　　“It’s——it’s——Tress！——isitadiamond？“
　　“ThatquestionIhavealreadyaskedmyself。“
　　“Letmelookatit！Itwillbesafewithme！It’smine！“
　　Iimmediatelyputthethingbehindmyback。
　　“Pardonme，itbelongsneithertoyounortome。Itbelongs，inallprobability，tothepersonwhosoldthatpuzzletothemanfromwhomyouboughtit——perhapssomeweepingwidow，Pugh，orhopelessorphan——thinkofit。Letushavenofurthermisunderstandinguponthatpoint，mydearoldfriend。Still，becauseyouaremydearoldfriend，Iamwillingtotrustyouwiththisdiscoveryofmine，onconditionthatyoudon’tattempttoremoveitfrommysight，andthatyoureturnittomethemomentIrequireyou。“
　　“You’re——you’reveryhardonme。“Imadeamovementtowardmywaistcoatpocket。“I’llreturnittoyou！“
　　Ihandedhimthecrystal，andwithitIhandedhimmypocketlens。
　　“WiththeaidofthatglassIimaginethatyouwillbeabletosubjectittoamoreacuteexamination，Pugh。“
　　Hebegantoexamineitthroughthelens。Directlyhedidso，hegaveanexclamation。Inafewmomentshelookedupatme。Hiseyeswereglisteningbehindhisspectacles。Icouldseehetrembled。
　　“Tress，it’s——it’sadiamond，aBrazildiamond。It’sworthafortune！“
　　“I’mgladyouthinkso。“
　　“GladIthinkso！Don’tyouthinkthatit’sadiamond？“
　　“Itappearstobeadiamond。UnderordinaryconditionsIshouldsay，withouthesitation，thatitwasadiamond。ButwhenI
　　considerthecircumstancesofitsdiscovery，Iamdriventodoubts。
　　Howmuchdidyougiveforthatpuzzle，Pugh？“
　　“Ninepence；thefellowwantedashilling，butIgavehimninepence。
　　Heseemedcontent。“
　　“Ninepence！Doesitseemreasonablethatweshouldfindadiamond，which，ifitisadiamond，isthefineststoneIeversawandhandled，inaninepennypuzzle？Itisnotasthoughithadgotintothethingbyaccident，ithadevidentlybeenplacedtheretobefound，and，apparently，byanyonewhochancedtosolvethepuzzle；witnessthewritingonthescrapofpaper。“
　　Pughre-examinedthecrystal。
　　“Itisadiamond！I’llstakemylifethatit’sadiamond！“
　　“Still，thoughitbeadiamond，Ismellarat！“
　　“Whatdoyoumean？“
　　“Istronglysuspectthatthepersonwhoplacedthatdiamondinsidethatpuzzleintendedtohaveajokeattheexpenseofthepersonwhodiscoveredit。WhatwastobethenatureofthejokeismorethanIcansayatpresent，butIshouldliketohaveabetwithyouthatthemanwhocompoundedthatpuzzlewasaningeniouspracticaljoker。Imaybewrong，Pugh；weshallsee。But，untilIhaveprovedthecontrary，Idon’tbelievethatthemaddestmanthateverlivedwouldthrowawayadiamondworth，apparently，shallwesayathousandpounds？“
　　“Athousandpounds！Thisdiamondisworthagooddealmorethanathousandpounds。“
　　“Well，thatonlymakesmycasethestronger；Idon’tbelievethatthemaddestmanthateverlivedwouldthrowawayadiamondworthmorethanathousandpoundswithsuchutterwantonnessasseemstohavecharacterizedtheactionoftheoriginalownerofthestonewhichIfoundinyourninepennypuzzle，Pugh。“
　　“Therehavebeensomeeccentriccharactersintheworld，someveryeccentriccharacters。However，asyousay，weshallsee。IfancythatIknowsomebodywhowouldbequitewillingtohavesuchadiamondasthis，andwho，moreover，wouldbewillingtopayafairpriceforitspossession；Iwilltakeittohimandseewhathesays。“
　　“Pugh，handmebackthatdiamond。“
　　“MydearTress，Iwasonlygoing——“
　　Bobcameinwiththebreakfasttray。
　　“Pugh，youwilleitherhandmethatatonce，orBobshallsummontherepresentativesoflawandorder。“
　　Hehandedmethediamond。Isatdowntobreakfastwithaheartyappetite。Pughstoodandscowledatme。
　　“JosephTress，itismysolemnconviction，andIhavenohesitationinsayingsoinplainEnglish，thatyou’reathief。“
　　“MydearPugh，itseemstomethatweshoweverypromiseofbecomingacoupleofthieves。“
　　“Don’tbracketmewithyou！“
　　“Notatall，youareworsethanI。Itisyouwhodeclinetoreturnthecontentsoftheboxtoitsproperowner。Putittoyourself，youhaveSOMEcommonsense，mydearoldfriendI——doyousupposethatadiamondworthmorethanathousandpoundsistobeHONESTLY
　　boughtforninepence？“
　　Heresumedhisoldtrickofdancingabouttheroom。
　　“Iwasafoolevertoletyouhavethebox！Ioughttohaveknownbetterthantohavetrustedyou；goodnessknowsyouhavegivenmesufficientcausetomistrustyou！Overandoveragain！Yourcharacterisonlytoonotorious！Youhaveplunderedfriendandfoealike——friendandfoealike！Asfortherubbishwhichyoucallyourcollection，ninetenthsofit，Iknowasapositivefact，youhavestolenoutandout。“
　　“WhostolemySirWalterRaleighpipe？Wasn’titamannamedPugh？“
　　“Lookhere，JosephTress！“
　　“I’mlooking。“
　　“Oh，it’snogoodtalkingtoyou，nottheleast！You’re——you’redeadtoallthepromptingsofconscience！MayIinquire，Mr。
　　Tress，whatitisyouproposetodo？“
　　“IPROPOSEtodonothing，exceptsummontherepresentativesoflawandorder。Failingthat，mydearPugh，Ihadsomefaint，vague，veryvagueideaoftakingthecontentsofyourninepennypuzzletoacertainfirminHattonGarden，whoaredealersinpreciousstones，andtolearnfromthemiftheyaredisposedtogiveanythingforit，andifso，what。“
　　“Ishallcomewithyou。“
　　“Withpleasure，onconditionthatyoupaythecab。“
　　“Ipaythecab！Iwillpayhalf。“
　　“Notatall。Youwilleitherpaythewholefare，orelseIwillhaveonecabandyoushallhaveanother。Itisathree-shillingcabfarefromheretoHattonGarden。Ifyouproposetosharemycab，youwillbesogoodastohandoverthatthreeshillingsbeforewestart。“
　　Hegasped，buthehandedoverthethreeshillings。TherearefewthingsIenjoysomuchasgettingmoneyoutofPugh！
　　OntheroadtoHattonGardenwewranglednearlyalltheway。IownthatIfeelacertainsatisfactioninirritatingPugh，heissuchanirritableman。HewantedtoknowwhatIthoughtweshouldgetforthediamond。
　　“Youcan’texpecttogetmuchforthecontentsofaninepennypuzzle，noteventhepriceofacabfare，Pugh。“
　　Heeyedme，butforsomeminuteshewassilent。Thenhebeganagain。
　　“Tress，Idon’tthinkweoughttoletitgoforlessthan——thanfivethousandpounds。“
　　“Seriously，Pugh，Idoubtwhether，whenthewholeaffairisended，weshallgetfivethousandpenceforit，or，forthematterofthat，fivethousandfarthings。“
　　“Butwhynot？Whynot？It’samagnificentstone——magnificent！
　　I’llstakemylifeonit。“
　　Itappedmybreastwiththetipsofmyfingers。
　　“There’sawarningvoicewithinmybreastthatoughttobeinyours，Pugh！Somethingtellsme，perhapsitistheunusuallystrongveinofcommonsensewhichIpossess，thatthecontentsofyourninepennypuzzlewillbefoundtobeamagnificentdo——aningeniouspracticaljoke，myfriend。“
　　“Idon’tbelieveit。“
　　ButIthinkhedid；atanyrate，Ihadunsettledthefoundationsofhisfaith。
　　WeenteredtheHattonGardenofficesidebyside；inhisanxietynottoletmegetbeforehim，Pughactuallyclungtomyarm。Theofficewasdividedintotwopartsbyacounterwhichranfromwalltowall。Iadvancedtoamanwhostoodontheothersideofthiscounter。
　　“Iwanttosellyouadiamond。“
　　“WEwanttosellyouadiamond，“interpolatedPugh。
　　IturnedtoPugh。I“fixed“himwithmyglance。
　　“Iwanttosellyouadiamond。Hereitis。Whatwillyougivemeforit？“
　　TakingthecrystalfrommywaistcoatpocketIhandedittothemanontheothersideofthecounter。Directlyhegotitbetweenhisfingers，andsawthatitwasthathehadgot，Inoticedasuddengleamcomeintohiseyes。
　　“Thisis——thisisratherafinestone。“
　　Pughnudgedmyarm。
　　“Itoldyouso。“IpaidnoattentiontoPugh。“Whatwillyougivemeforit？“
　　“Doyoumean，whatwillIgiveyouforitcashdownuponthenail？“
　　“Justso——whatwillyougivemeforitcashdownuponthenail？“
　　Themanturnedthecrystaloverandoverinhisfingers。“Well，that’sratheralargeorder。Wedon’toftengetachanceofbuyingsuchastoneasthisacrossthecounter。Whatdoyousayto——well——
　　totenthousandpounds？“
　　Tenthousandpounds！Itwasbeyondmywildestimaginings。Pughgasped。Helurchedagainstthecounter。
　　“Tenthousandpounds！“heechoed。