Fanny, a beautiful young woman, enters Fydjys, a classy jewelry store in Brussels, and asks to see an emerald ring. It is rare, explains the proprietor, found by an antique dealer in Prague. The price is 100,000 francs. The price gives Fanny pause, and she asks the jeweler to hold it for her for a couple of hours because she wants to bring someone else in to see it. And, as another customer enters, Fanny asks a question about the price. Although we do not know what the question is, it appears that the shopkeeper has answered no - the price is firm. But Fanny perseveres, returning soon with a man in tow; has she found a way to buy the ring at half price?