The Duchess of Wiltshires Diamonds | Page 6

life been
to the sight of gems, what he saw before him then almost took his
breath away. The inside of the box, both sides and bottom, was quilted
with the softest Russia leather, and on this luxurious couch reposed the
famous necklace. The fire of the stones when the light caught them was
sufficient to dazzle the eyes, so fierce was it.
As Carne could see, every gem was perfect of its kind, and there were
no fewer than three hundred of them. The setting was a fine example of
the jeweller's art, and last, but not least, the value of the whole affair

was fifty thousand pounds, a mere fleabite to the man who had given it
to his wife, but a fortune to any humbler person.
"And now that you have seen my property, what do you think of it?"
asked the Duchess as she watched her visitor's face.
"It is very beautiful," he answered, "and I do not wonder that you are
proud of it. Yes, the diamonds are very fine, but I think it is their
abiding place that fascinates me more.
Have you any objection to my measuring it?"
"Pray do so, if it is likely to be of any assistance to you," replied Her
Grace.
Carne thereupon produced a small ivory rule, ran it over the box, and
the figures he thus obtained he jotted down in his pocket book.
Ten minutes later, when the case had been returned to the safe, he
thanked the Duchess for her kindness and took his departure, promising
to call in person for the empty case on the morning of the ball.
Reaching home he passed into his study, and, seating himself at his
writing table, pulled a sheet of note paper towards him and began to
sketch, as well as he could remember it, the box he had seen. Then he
leant back in his chair and closed his eyes.
"I have cracked a good many hard nuts in my time," he said reflectively,
"but never one that seemed so difficult at first sight as this. As far as I
see at present, the case stands as follows: the box will be brought from
the bank where it usually reposes to Wiltshire House on the morning of
the dance. I shall be allowed to have possession of it, without the stones
of course, for a period possibly extending from eleven o'clock in the
morning to four or five, at any rate not later than seven, in the evening.
After the ball the necklace will be returned to it, when it will be locked
up in the safe, over which the butler and a footman will mount guard.
"To get into the room during the night is not only too risky, but

physically out of the question; while to rob Her Grace of her treasure
during the progress of the dance would be equally impossible. The
Duke fetches the casket and takes it back to the bank himself, so that to
all intents and purposes I am almost as far off the solution as ever."
Half-an-hour went by and found him still seated at his desk, staring at
the drawing on the paper, then an hour. The traffic of the streets rolled
past the house unheeded. Finally Jowur Singh announced his carriage,
and, feeling that an idea might come to him with a change of scene, he
set off for a drive in the park.
By this time his elegant mail phaeton, with its magnificent horses and
Indian servant on the seat behind, was as well-known as Her Majesty's
state equipage, and attracted almost as much attention. To-day,
however, the fashionable world noticed that Simon Carne looked
preoccupied. He was still working out his problem, but so far without
much success. Suddenly something, no one will ever be able to say
what, put an idea into his head. The notion was no sooner born in his
brain than he left the park and drove quickly home. Ten minutes had
scarcely elapsed before he was back in his study again, and had ordered
that Wajib Baksh should be sent to him.
When the man he wanted put in an appearance, Carne handed him the
paper upon which he had made the drawing of the jewel case.
"Look at that," he said," and tell me what thou seest there."
"I see a box," answered the man, who by this time was well accustomed
to his master's ways.
"As thou say'st, it is a box," said Carne. "The wood is heavy and hick,
though what wood it is I do not know. The measurements are upon the
paper below. Within, both the sides and bottom are quilted with soft
leather as I have also shown. Think now, Wajib Baksh, for in this