ge is
in that. Holy Luke! how finely it is carved. The lady has taken out the
wrong necklace. Look, Gamaliel, where could your green pigeon's egg have
found a place in that thing?" and he pointed to the gem.

"Nowhere," said the Jew. "The noble lady. . ." But Orion roughly bid the
witness to be silent, and Nilus, taking up the engraved gem, examined it
closely. Then he--he the grave, just man, on whose support Paula had
confidently reckoned--went up to her and with a regretful shrug asked her
whether the other necklace with the setting of which she had spoken was
in the trunk.

The blood ran cold in her veins. This thing that had happened was as
startling as a miracle. But no! No higher Power had anything to do with
this blow. Orion believed that she had failed in her promise of screening
him by her silence, and this, this was his revenge. By what means--how he
had gone to work, was a mystery. What a trick!--and it had succeeded! But
should she take it like a patient child? No. A thousand times no!
Suddenly all her old powers of resistance came back; hatred steeled her
wavering will; and, as in fancy, he had seen himself in the circus,
driving in a race, so she pictured herself seated at the chess-board. She
felt herself playing with all her might to win; but not, as with his
father, for flowers, trifling presents or mere glory; nay, for a very
different stake Life or Death!

She would do everything, anything to conquer him; and yet, no--come what
might--not everything. Sooner would she succumb than betray him as the
thief or reveal what she had discovered in the viridarium. She had
promised to keep the secret; and she would repay the father's kindness by
screening the son from this disgrace. How beautiful, how noble had
Orion's image been in her heart. She would not stain it with this
disgrace in her own eyes and in those of the world. But every other
reservation must be cast far, far away, to snatch the victory from him
and to save Hiram. Every fair weapon she might use; only this treachery
she could not, might not have recourse to. He must be made to feel that
she was more magnanimous than he; that she, under all conceivable
circumstances, kept her word. That was settled; her bosom once more rose
and fell, and her eye brightened again; still it was some little time
before she could find the right words with which to begin the contest.

Orion could see the seething turmoil in her soul; he felt that she was
arming