a cousin of mine produces them whenever she feels disposed.'

'You could say they have been in the family for some time, and you are
obliged to part with them; I don't ask you to tell a falsehood,
Richard.'

'Well, to tell you the honest truth,' said Dick, 'I'd rather have
nothing to do with it. I'm not proud, but I shouldn't like it to get
about among our fellows at the bank that I went about hawking diamonds.'

'But, you stupid, undutiful boy, don't you see that you could leave the
bank--you need never do anything any more--we should all live rich and
happy somewhere in the country, if we could only sell those jewels! And
you won't do that one little thing!'

'Well,' said Dick, 'I'll think over it. I'll see what I can do.'

And his mother knew that it was perfectly useless to urge him any
further: for, in some things, Dick was as obstinate as a mule, and, in
others, far too easy-going and careless ever to succeed in life. He had
promised to think over it, however, and she had to be contented with
that.

On the evening following this conversation cousin Dick entered the
sitting-room the moment after his return from the City, and found his
mother to all appearances alone.

'What a dear sweet little guileless angel cousin Priscilla is, to be
sure!' was his first remark.

'Then you _have_ sold some of the stones!' cried Aunt Margarine. 'Sit
down, like a good boy, and tell me all about it.'

'Well,' said Dick, 'I took the finest diamonds and rubies and pearls
that escaped from that saintlike child last night in the course of some
extremely disparaging comments on my character and pursuits--I took
those jewels to Faycett and Rosewater's in New Bond Street--you know the
shop, on the right-hand side as you go up----'

'Oh, go on, Dick; go on--never mind _where_ it is--how much did you get
for them?'

'I'm coming to that; keep cool, dear mamma. Well, I went in, and I saw
the manager, and I said: "I want you to make these up into a horse-shoe
scarf-pin for me."'

'You said that! You never tried to sell one? Oh, Dick, you are too
provoking!'

'Hold on, mater; I haven't done yet. So the manager--a very gentlemanly
person, rather thin on the top of the head--not that that affects his
business capacities; for, after all----'

'Dick, do you want to drive me frantic!'

'I can't conceive any domestic occurrence which would be more
distressing or generally inconvenient, mother dear. You do interrupt a
fellow so! I f