own hands ungloved.

'I do not want to be vaccinated,' said Merton.

'Then don't shake hands,' said Miss Martin.

'What on earth do you mean?' asked Merton.

'Look there!' said the lady, lifting her hand to his eyes. Merton kissed
it.

'Oh, _take care_!' shrieked Miss Martin. 'It would be awkward--on the
lips. Do you see my ring?'

Merton and Logan examined her ring. It was a beautiful _cinque cento_
jewel in white and blue enamel, with a high gold top containing a pointed
ruby.

'It's very pretty,' said Merton--'quite of the best period. But what is
the mystery?'

'It is a poison ring of the Borgias,' said Miss Martin. 'I borrowed it
from Sir Josiah Wilkinson. If it scratched you' (here she exhibited the
mechanism of the jewel), 'why, there you are!'

'Where? Poisoned?'

'No! Vaccinated!' said Miss Martin. 'It is full of the stuff they
vaccinate you with, but it is quite safe as far as the old poison goes.
Sir Josiah sterilised it, in case of accidents, before he put in the
glycerinated lymph. My own idea! He was delighted. Shall I shake hands
with the office-boy?--it might do him good--or would Kutuzoff give a
paw?'

Kutuzoff was the Russian cat.

'By no means--not for worlds,' said Merton. 'Kutuzoff is a Conscientious
Objector. But were you going to shake hands with Miss Truman with that
horrible ring? Sacred emblems enamelled on it,' said Merton, gingerly
examining the jewel.

'No; I was not going to do that,' replied Miss Martin. 'My idea was to
acquire the confidence of the lover--the younger Mr. Warren--explain to
him how the thing works, lend it to him, and then let him press his
Jane's wrist with it in some shady arbour. Then his Jane would have been
all that the heart of Mr. Warren _pere_ could desire. But it did not
come off.'

'Thank goodness!' ejaculated Merton. 'There might have been an awful
row. I don't know what the offence would have been in the eye of the
law. Vaccinating a Conscientious Objector, without consent, yet without
violence,--what would the law say to _that_?'

'We might make it _hamesucken under trust_ in Scotland,' said Logan, 'if
it was done on the premises of the young lady's domicile.'

'We have not that elegant phrase in England,' said Merton. 'Perhaps it
would have been a common assault; but, anyhow, it would have got into the
newspapers. Never again be officer of mine, Miss Martin.'

'But how did all end happily?' asked Logan.

'Why,