The Press., 1892-05-26

indignation at the thought of the poor d little expected heir, defrauded ere his birth; of the crushing contempt felt for myself and the bishop as d pair of wit less idiots unable to see our way out of the dilemma; all this boiling and surging through my soul l can only wonder Domenico having given himself holi- day, and the kitchen maid doing her worst and wickedest-that gout or jaun- dice did not put an end to this story at once.
 "Uncle Paulr Leta was looking her sweetest when she tripped into my room next morning. five news for you. She," pointing a delicate forefnger in the direction of the corridor, ais go- ingl Her Bokums have reached Paris at last and sent for her to join them at the Grand hotel"
 was thunderstruck. The longed for deliverance had but come to remove hopelessly and forever out of my reach Lady Carwitchet and the great Valdez sapphire
 ssWhy, aren't you overjoyed. I am. We are going to celebrate the event by dinner party. Toms hospitable soul is vexed by the lack of entertainment we had provided her. We must ask the Brownleys some day or other, and they will be delighted to meet anything in the way of ladyship, or such smart folks as the Duberly-Parkers. Then we may as we'll have the Blomields, and air that awful modern Sevres dessert service she gave us when we were mar ried." had no objections to make, and she went on, rubbing her soft cheek against my shoulder like the purring little cat she was: ''Now, want you to do something to please me-and Mrs. BlomfieM She has set her heart on sec ing your rubies, and, though l know you hate her about as much as you do that. Sevres china"-
 "Whati Wear my rubies with that! I won't. I'll tell you what l will do though. I've got some carbuncles as big as prize gooseberries, a whole set. Then you have only to put those Bohe- milan glass vases and candelebra on the table, and let your gardener do his worst with his great forced, scentless, vulgar blooms, and we shall all be in keeping" Leta pouted. An idea struck me- "Or. I'll do as you wish, on one condition. You get Lady Carwitchets to wear her big sapphire and don't tell her wish it"
 lived through the next few days as one in some evil dream. The sapphires, like twin specters, haunted me day and night. Was ever man so tantalized? To hold the shadow and see the sub- stance dangled temptingly within my reach. The bishop made no sign of rid ding me of my unwelcome charge, and the thought of what might happen in case of a burglary-a fire-an earth quake-made me start and tremble at all sorts of inopportune moments.
 kept faith with Leta, and reluctantly produced my beautiful rubies on the night of her dinner party. Emerging from my room I came full upon Lady Carwitchet in the corridor. She was dressed for dinner, and at her throat l caught the blue gleam of the great sapphire. Leta had kept faith with me. don't know what stammered in reply to her ladyship's glib remarks; my whole soul was absorbed in the contemplation of the intoxicating loveliness of the gem. That Palais Royal deception! Ipcred- ible! My fingers twitched, my breath came short and fierce with the lust of possession. She must have seen the cov- etous glare in my eyes. A look of grat- flied, spitefu1 conlplacency overspread her features, as she swept on ahead and descended the stairs before me. 1 fol lowed her to the drawing room door. She stopped suddenly, and murmuring something unintelligible, hurried back again. Everybody, was assembled there that expected to see, with an addition. Not welcome one, by the look on Toms face. He stood on the hearthrug con- versing with a great, hulking high shouldered fellow, sallow faced, with heavy mustache and dropping eyelids, from the corners of which flashed out a sudden suspicious look as I approached. which lighted up into greedy one as it rested on my rubies, and seemed nnac- countably familiar to me, till Lady Car. witchet, tripping past me, exclaimed:
 t'He has come at lastl My naughty, naughty boyl MT. Acton, this is my son, Lord Carwitchetr'
 broke off short in the midst of my DO lite acknowledgements to stare blankly at her. The sapphire was gone! A great gilt cross, with Scotch pebble like an acid drop, was her sole decoration.
 ''I had to put my pendant away" she explained confdentially; 'the clasp had got broken somehow" l didn't believe word.
 Lord Carwitchet contributed, little to the general entertainment at dinner, but fell into confidential talk with Mrs. Duberly- ly-Parker. caught few unin- telligible remarks across the table They referred, I subsequently discovered, to the lady's little book on Northchurch races, and l recollected that the spring meeting was on, and tomorrow s.Gups Day." After dinner there was great talk about getting up 8 party to go on Gen. eral Fairford's drag. Lady Carwitchet was in ecstacies and tried to coax me into joining. Leta declined positively Tom accepted sulkily.
 The look in Lord Carwitchet's eye re. turned to my mind as I locked up my rubies that night. It made him look so like his mother. l went round my fas- tenings with unusual care. Safe and closets and desks and doors, tried them all. Coming at length to the bathroom, it opened at once. It was the house. maids doing She had evidently taken advantage of my having abandoned the room to give it "a thorough spring clean ing" and I mathematical her. The furniture was all piled together and yelled with sheets, the carpet and felt curtain were gone, there were new brooms about. As I peered around, q voice close at my ear made me jump. Lady Carwitchet's!
 '.I@tel1 you have nothing, not pen ny 1 sh;.ll have to borrow my train fare before can leave this. They'll be glad enough to lend it."
 Not only had the portiere been re- moved, but the door behind it had been unlocked and left open for convenience