means,
a gem expert, and so big a buyer that his business connections in
several continental centres made him a power to be reckoned with. He
was also a notorious liar and thief, and everyone knew his reputation.
I had been warned against him, but as he went out of his way to be
friendly to me, I thought I knew better, particularly as he himself
took pains to warn me against the very people who had impeached his
character. Unfortunately I had been warned in vague terms and had not
been told that he was no better than a common thief and that no broker
or dealer would go near him without first counting the stones in each
parcel and the number of parcels in his wallet. They would even watch
his hands while he was examining the goods and count the stones before
leaving.
He
began by letting me make a safe profit in several small transactions.
Then one day he asked to see a large parcel of jagers (Jagersfontein
brilliants). I obtained the goods from a client, he looked them over,
found fault with the price, and finally refused to make an offer. I
came away disappointed and was presently thrown into great perturbation
by the discovery that the largest and best stone in the parcel was
missing. Its value was not less than ^250 (to-day such a stone would
easily fetch £900 in the open market). I was near collapse. My clients
demanded to know the name of the potential customer. I mentioned it.
Without a word the principal took his hat from the peg and motioned to
me to follow him. We returned to the office whence I had come, and
were received immediately.
At once my client stated in a menacing tone that the
