ntoinette. You are clever; your brain is
full of resources; and you must help me out of this awful web that
has tangled itself about me. I--I lost the diamonds on the night of
the grand ball--the last night we were at Newport, and--and I dare
not tell my husband. Now you see my position, Antoinette. I--I can
not wear the diamonds, and I do not know how to turn my husband from
his purpose of making me put them on. He may refuse to go down to
the reception-room--or, still worse, he may ask for them. I can not
see the end, Antoinette. I am between two fires. I do not know which
way to leap to save myself. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, my lady," returned the wily maid. "Leave your trouble to me.
I will find some way to get you out of it."

"You must think quickly, Antoinette!" cried Sally, excitedly. "He said
he would return for me within ten minutes. Half that time has already
passed. Oh--oh! what shall I do?"

"You must not excite yourself, my lady," replied Antoinette, quickly.
"Worry brings wrinkles, and you can not afford to have any but pleasant
thoughts. I have said you can rely upon me to think of some way out of
the dilemma."

"That is easier said than done, Antoinette," declared her mistress,
beginning to pace excitedly up and down the room, the color burning in
two bright red spots on her cheeks.

Antoinette crossed over to the window, and stood looking out
thoughtfully into the darkness. Her brain was busy with the numerous
schemes that were flitting through it.

At that, moment fate pointed out an unexpected way to her. She heard
footsteps in the corridor, and just then it flashed upon Antoinette that
she had heard her master giving orders to his valet to bring him a glass
of brandy. The man was returning with it.

Quick as a flash, Antoinette crossed the room and flung open the door.

"Andrew," she whispered to the man who was passing, "I want you to do a
favor for me."

"A hundred if you like," replied the man, good-humoredly. "But I haven't
time to listen to you now. I'll take master this brandy--which, by the
way, is the best of its kind. I wish he'd take a notion to leave half of
it in the glass, for it's fairly nectar--then I'll be back in a trice,
and you can consider me at your service for the rest of the evening."

"But it's _now_ I want you, Andrew--this very minute!" cried Antoinette.
"Set your glass right down here; nobody will see it; I'll keep guard
over it. My errand won't take you