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Ch.24: The English Dresden Diamond, A Faultless Stone

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THE ENGLISH DRESDEN.
205
crowned princes of Europe, and successively declined by them, it was seen and greatly admired by an Indian rajah, who is said to have visited London in 1863, chiefly for the purpose of adding this diamond to his collection. But the price, fixed at that time at £40,000, was more than he could afford, and he was reluctantly compelled to decline the purchase.
The rajah was accompanied on this occasion by an English merchant from Bombay, who, dazzled by the lustre of this peerless gem, expressed a great desire to possess it. "I should like to buy this diamond myself," he remarked, " but have not the means to do so at present. Whenever I am rich enough I shall certainly not fail to secure it." No atten­tion was paid at the time to these words, which, how­ever, were afterwards remembered, when the speaker found himself unexpectedly in a position to prove their sincerity. Within a year of his desire to possess the English " Dresden," the great war of Secession broke out in the United States, which led to an almost fabulous rise in the price of cotton, of which commodity the Bombay merchant happened to be a large holder. By selling off his stock at enormous profits he suddenly found himself in possession of ample means to gratify " the dearest wish of his heart." He at once wrote to Mr. Dresden, and his letter was followed by a special agent commissioned to effect the purchase. In'executing the task entrusted to him this agent contrived to do a stroke of business of which neither Mr. Dresden nor the purchaser was aware at the time. Making a show of extreme caution, he be­trayed an apparently praiseworthy zeal in the interest
Ch.24: The English Dresden Diamond, A Faultless Stone Page of 312 Ch.24: The English Dresden Diamond, A Faultless Stone
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