The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-01-04

paste put into the settings in their place. The
first time this pretty idea occurred to him he dis
missed it promptly, but under the pressure of
need it required again and again. Lord Rory
more kept on repeating to himself that his wife
scarcely ever wore these famous family jewels.
She had lots of others for ordinary wear, and
these were only sported on great occasions which
recurred but once or twice year, so that they
were virtually like so much dormant, unproft-
able capital. Once Lord Rorymore had begun
reasoning in this way, he soon schooled himself
to the belief that he should be foolish il he let
himself be arrested by squeamish scruples. The
upshot was that he returned to Mr. Triballs
shop, partly impelled by the reflection that in
selling his jewels to the pawnbroker he would
be quashing that debt of five thousand guineas,
which had been irksome to him from the first.
Mr. Tribal was not prepared for the proposal
which Lord Rorymore made him at this new
visit. He had trusted that his manner of grant
ing the former loan would convey rebuke to
the young peer, and it had given him exquisite
pleasure to reflect that he might have been in
strumental in winning back the son of his beue-
factor to straight courses. 1t therefore caused
him proportionate pain when he saw to what
expedients Lord Rorymorc was now descending.
He examined the diamonds in silence, turned
them to the light, and at length said he would
give $4,000 for them, which, added to the $50
he had already lent, would be about their mar
ket value As he was concluding this bargain
he said gently: "EXcuse the question, Lord
Rorymore, but does her ladyship know of this
transaction ?n
"Oh, ye-es, of course" stammered the peer,
reddening; "but, you know, she wants to havea
paste set exactly like them, so that society may
not suspect anything. You can make good imi-
tations in paste, can't you?n
81 think you will be satisfied, my lord,n said
Mr.. Tribal, gravcly, and he bowed out his noble
visitor, who went forth with Bank of England
draft in his pocket.
While these things were taking place in Lon
don Lady Rorymore was also in pecuniary
straits, and was brooding over them very dole
fully in Scotland. She was an eXtravagant
beauty, who had for years been running up bills
without ever paying them, and now, at length
her tradesmen, alarmed perhaps by reports of
her husbands extravagances had begun to send
in their bills all together. Now, it was a pecu-
liarity in Lord Rorymore that, although very
nimbe at getting into debt himself, he flew into
wild RACES when his wife did the same and her
ladyship well knew that if she were to confess
debts of $4,000 or 97 1000, she would never hear
the end of it, This would never do for q lady
who liked quiet life. So it came to pass that
at the very time when my lord was converting
the family jewels into paste the thoughts of nv
lady were likewise running on paste for she had
lately been shown some imitation stones which
were really so like genuine ones that it was
scarcely possible to detect the difference even on
close scrutiny. Lady Rorymore argued with
considerable sophistry to justify herself in de-
ceiving her husband, just as my lord had done
on his side. On her return to London she lost
no time in going to the bank, without inform
ing her husband and on asking to have her
Jewels given up to her she learned, through
some inadvertent remarks of a clerk, that Lord
Rurymore had withdrawn all the Jewels in her
absence, and ha6 but lately returned them
An, then, am too Late muttered her lady
ship, with sudden misgiving, and she turned
quite pale, feeling convinced that her husband
must have forestalled her. ssOh, what base
nessn' she exclaimed within herself "But if I
find be has done this mean thing / will never
forgive him, and everybody shall know of it.
I'll petition for divorcen Her ladyship was
almost beside herself with anxiety and rage as
she left the bank and ordered her coachman to
drive her to Mr.. Trballs. She had heard of
this broker as being the cleyerest expert in dia-
monds
Mr.. Tribal was seated in his Office narIor
looking into the fire in reflective mood and
thinking of Lord Rorymore, when her ladyship
was announced. She founced in, trailing a
skirt of two yards length after her. and pumped
down all her jewels on the table.
'Mr Trball hear you are good Judge of
diamonds" said she excitedly. II want you to
tell me truly whether these stones are genuine.u
Pray be seated" said the pawnbroker and
he took up the largest case with his most serious
air "Yes, your ladyship, these diamonds are
quite genuine, and very fine ones"
''Are you quite sure? ?'' asked Lady Rorymore,
all trembling. 81 was afraid they had been
tampered with. havehad dishonest seryant.m
"They are perfectly genuine, and of the finest
water" repeated the pawnbroker.
"Ah thank Heaven ~ exclaimed her LADY,
ship, with great sigh of relief IWell, then.
Mr.. Tribal, will you buy them of me ?''
''Buy them, Lady Rorymorep'
He stood a moment dumfounded, but imme-
diately my lady overwhelmed him with flood
OF talk, mingled with tears She told him of
her debts sorrows, apprehepsions She was
almost afraid che would be beaten if the amount
of her debts came to be known. In short she
had now but one resource in the forId, and if
Mr. Tribal refused to buy her jewels, and give
her some others OF paste, she was sure that she
should fall exceedingly i'll and perhaps die.
Here there was some more weeping and wiring
ing of hands.
Mr.. Tribal had sat through all this trying
scene without making any remark He nodded
at times, that was all. When his fair visitor
had quite finished speaking he said quietly: 81
suppose you know, Lady RoTymore, that ihave
no right to buy these jewels of you without
| your husbands authority?''
! 'Oh, but they are not entailed, and besides he
! will never know" exclaimed her ladyship, who
seemed to have the law at her fingers ends.
! Can you assure me that he will never know ?'
"NeVer, promise you, never! %
'Well on this understanding / will purchase
! the diamonds of you for 914, 900, said Mr.. Tri.
| ball. ''But mind, Lady Rorymore, rely upon
your word that this shall be kept secret.n
Externally. Oh, am sure this is very kind
! Of you, and shall never forget it, whimpered
! my lady, whose heart beat an ecstatic tattoo as
! the pawnbroker's pen signed the check
! A week later Lady Rorymore received suite
of diamonds which she believed to be PASTE and
deemed, for her part, quite as nice as the others