used pearls instead of
diamonds the effect might be as good. I don't care whether the stones
are emeralds or rubies; at any rate, I should like to see some, and then
perhaps you might be able to make me a set on the same model."

Several superb sets were brought in; Mark selected one of emeralds and
diamonds.

"What would be the price of this set?" he asked.

"That set is 6000 pounds, sir; the stones are exceptionally fine ones;
but if you substituted pearls of equal size for the diamonds, it would
cost considerably less; I could not give you the exact price until it is
made, but I should say that it would be about 4500 pounds."

"Very well, then, I will take that. How long will it be making?"

"I should not like to say less than three months at the earliest; it
will require some time to collect as fine a set of emeralds as these.
Indeed, I think that most probably I shall use these emeralds, or the
greater part of them, and collect others to take their places at my
leisure. I do not know whether the best plan would not be to take the
diamonds out and substitute pearls; there would be no difficulty in
getting them, and in that case I might have it ready for you in a
month."

"I think that will be the best plan; but you need not be in any
particular hurry about them. My marriage will take place in less than
a fortnight, and after that I shall probably be three or four months
before I return to London. I will get you to keep the things until I
come back."

"I have sold the jewels, Millicent," he said, when he returned to
Islington; "the jeweler has found purchasers for them all, and the total
comes to 42,000 pounds."

"Whatever shall we do with all our money, Mark?"

"I rather wonder myself, dear. However, there is one thing, there are
always plenty of people who will be glad to relieve us of anything that
we don't want. I can tell you that in the course of my search for Bastow
I have seen an amount of poverty and misery such as I never dreamt of,
and I certainly should like to do something to relieve it. The best
thing that I know of would be to give a handsome sum to three or four
of the great hospitals. I don't know of any better means of helping the
very poor."

"Suppose, Mark," the girl said, putting her hand on his arm, "we give
this 42,000 pounds as a thank offering. We never expected to get it,
and my father's jewels have nearly cost you your life. We have such an
abundance without that, I should lik