The owner lost his composure. Taking advantage of Vera Xavier's inexperience, he said, "Young lady, I'll give you one hundred. How about you sell this stone back to me? Look, you just bought it for fifteen, and now I'm offering one hundred. You'll make a profit of eighty-five, and I won't even charge you the fee for cutting it."
Vera was inwardly amused. 'This owner really takes me for a fool.' She gave a cool smile. "No. I like the color of this stone. I wouldn't sell it even if you offered me ten thousand!"
The owner's eyes darted around. If this stone was entirely Full House Red, it would be worth at least two hundred thousand. He was taking advantage of Vera's youth and inexperience, about to coax her into selling the stone for a pittance, when Mr. Sterling walked in from outside. "Frank, have the stones I ordered last time arrived?"
The moment the owner saw who it was, he quickly said, "They've arrived."
