Dove, divining the purport of Mr. Camperdown's visit.
"A great deal more than I wanted, I can assure you, Mr. Dove."
"There is a common error about heirlooms."
"Very common, indeed, I should say. God bless my soul! when one knows how
often the word occurs in family deeds, it does startle one to be told that
there isn't any such thing."
"I don't think I said quite so much as that. Indeed, I was careful to
point out that the law does acknowledge heirlooms."
"But not diamonds," said the attorney.
"I doubt whether I went quite so far as that."
"Only the Crown diamonds."
"I don't think I even debarred all other diamonds. A diamond in a star of
honour might form a part of an heirloom; but I do not think that a diamond
itself could be an heirloom."
"If in a star of honour, why not in a necklace?" argued Mr. Camperdown
almost triumphantly.
"Because a star of honour, unless tampered with by fraud, would naturally
be maintained in its original form. The setting of a necklace will
probably be altered from generation to generation. The one, like a picture
or a precious piece of furniture----"
"Or a pot or a pan," said Mr.
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