affairs, I will tell you this much M. le Comte--if Mme. la Comtesse has taken your diamonds, you should have sent a circular around to all the jewelers, giving them notice not to buy them; she might have sold them separately.' "'You know my wife, sir!' roared the Count. "'True.' "'She is in her husband's power.' "'That is possible.' "'She had no right to dispose of those diamonds----' "'Precisely.' "'Very well, sir?' "'Very well, sir. I knew your wife, and she is in her husband's power; I am quite willing, she is in the power of a good many people; but--I--do--_not_--know--your diamonds. If Mme. la Comtesse can put her name to a bill, she can go into business, of course, and buy and sell diamonds on her own account. The thing is plain on the face of it!' "'Good-day, sir!' cried the Count, now white with rage. 'There are courts of justice.' "'Quite so.' "'This gentleman here,' he added, indicating me, 'was a witness of the sale.' "'That is possible.' "The Count turned to go. Feeling the gravity of the affair, I suddenly put in between the two belligerents. "'M. le Comte,' said I, 'you are right, and M. Gobseck is by no means in the wrong. You could not prosecute the purchaser without bringing your wife into court, and the whole of the odium would not fall on her. I am an attorney, and I owe it to myself, and still more to my professional position, to declare that the diamonds of which you speak were purchased by M. Gobseck in my presence; but, in my opinion, it would be unwise to dispute the legality of the sale, especially as the goods are not readily recognizable. In equity our contention would lie, in law it would collapse. M. Gobseck is too honest a man to deny that the sale was a profitable transaction, more especially as my conscience, no less than my duty, compels me to make the admission. But once bring the case into a court of law, M. le Comte, the issue would be doubtful. My advice to you is to come to terms with M.