Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Jew's Breastplate
Purvis,oneofthepartnersofMorsonandCompany,thewell-knowndiamondmerchants.Asanexpertinstoneshewasalwayspreparedtoadvisethepolice.TheyweregroupedroundthecaseinwhichthebreastplateoftheJewishpriesthadbeenexposed.Theplatehadbeentakenoutandlaidupontheglasstopofthecase,andthethreeheadswerebentoverit.
"Itisobviousthatithasbeentamperedwith,"saidMortimer."ItcaughtmyeyethemomentthatIpassedthroughtheroomthismorning.Iexaminedityesterdayevening,sothatitiscertainthatthishashappenedduringthenight."
Itwas,ashehadsaid,obviousthatsomeonehadbeenatworkuponit.Thesettingsoftheuppermostrowoffourstones—thecarnelian,peridot,emerald,andruby—wereroughandjaggedasifsomeonehadscrapedallroundthem.Thestoneswereintheirplaces,butthebeautifulgold-workwhichwehadadmiredonlyafewdaysbeforehadbeenveryclumsilypulledabout.
"Itlookstome,"saidthepoliceinspector,"asifsomeonehadbeentryingtotakeoutthestones."
"Myfearis,"saidMortimer,"thathenotonlytried,butsucceeded.Ibelievethesefourstonestobeskilfulimitationswhichhavebeenputintheplaceoftheoriginals."
Thesamesuspicionhadevidentlybeeninthemindoftheexpert,forhehadbeencarefullyexaminingthefourstoneswiththeaidofalens.Henowsubmittedthemtoseveraltests,andfinallyturnedcheerfullytoMortimer.
"Icongratulateyou,sir,"saidhe,heartily."Iwillpledgemyreputationthatallfourofthesestonesaregenuine,andofamostunusualdegreeofpurity.