said it looked very
fine and became her well; but he bade her only to wear it on great
occasions, and watch over it very close and jealous.

"There's money there," said James, and she wondered how much, but knew
exceedingly well he hadn't put no great strain on a fat purse when he
bought it.

He ordered her to keep the thing a secret for the present, and she
promised to do so; and then came on the next queer scene of the play, for
meeting with Nicholas down in Little Silver a week later, the man unfolded
his feelings a bit and give Cora a glimpse of his heart. But such were her
own feelings by then that what he hinted at didn't surprise her. In fact,
he told her what a hundred things had told her already. He dwelt on Mary
Jane first, however, and said he was a lot put about in that quarter and
shamed of himself and wishful to give her a bit of a gift for the sake of
peace.

"Such things must be done gradual and decent," he said. "'Tis clear as
light I can't marry her now, because I moved like a blind man and made a
shocking mistake; but I've only been tokened to the woman a month, though
it seems like eternity, and afore I cut loose, I must carry on a bit
longer and let the shock come gradual."

"I know very well how it is with you, Nick," she answered. "Such things
will happen and 'tis very ill-convenient; but, I'm tolerable
understanding, the more so because I'm finding myself in much the same
sort of a mess as you."

They skated on thin ice, of course, and Nicholas found silence the safest
when along with Cora; but they opened out bit by bit, and they both knew
very well by now that they was meant for each other and no other parties
whatsoever.

Then began the craft of Cora, and such was the amazing cleverness of the
woman, doubtless quickened by love, that she worked single-handed, and
whereas a lesser female might have taken Nicholas into her confidence, she
did not, but struck a far-reaching stroke for them both, all unknown by
him. She hoped it might happen as she'd planned for it to do, and reckoned
no great harm would result if it failed; but her arts and her knowledge of
Caunter's habit of mind carried her through and advanced the tricky and
parlous affair a pretty good stage.

Cora knew two or three things now and she fitted 'em together. She knew
the holiday people was apt to picnic round about on famous spots beside
the river, and she knew sometimes they would leave odds and ends behind
'em worth