"Daniel Molteno was a jeweller in
Houndsditch. I occasionally acted for him--professionally. And
occasionally when I wanted anything in the way of jewellery, I went to his
shop. He was then a man of about fifty, a tall, characteristically Hebraic
sort of man, already patriarchal in appearance, though he hadn't a grey
hair in his big black beard. He was an interesting man, profoundly learned
in the history of precious stones. I remember buying those rings from him
very well indeed--I remember, too, what I gave him for them--seventy-five
pounds for the two. Those private marks inside them are, of course, his--
and so they're just the same as his private marks inside those other rings
in the tray. But that's not what I came here to tell you--that's merely
preliminary."
"Deeply interesting, anyway, sir," observed Ayscough. "And, maybe, very
valuable."
"Not half so valuable as what I'm going to tell you," replied Mr. Killick,
with a dry chuckle, "Now, as I understand it, from young Mr. Purdie's
account, you're all greatly excited at present over the undoubted
connection with this Praed Street mystery of one Mr.
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