nd I fancy the reflection that he made a good fight for it--and it was
a good one; he was a plucky fellow!--must console him for his failure.
After all, one can only try."

"Try to steal other people's jewels," said Nell.

"Try for what seems the best--what one wants," he said dreamily. "I
wonder whether he would have been satisfied if he had got off with, say,
a small box of trinkets?"

"I should imagine he would consider himself very lucky," said Nell, her
eyes downcast.

"Do you think so?" asked Falconer quietly. "Somehow, I fancy you're
wrong. He would have hankered after those diamonds for the rest of his
life, and no amount of small trinkets would have consoled him for having
missed them. Though I dare say, being a plucky fellow, he would have
made the best of it."

Nell began to tremble. The parable was plain to her. The man beside her
had failed to win the woman he loved, and would try to make the best of
the poor trinkets of fame and success. Her lips quivered, and her eyes
drooped lower.

"Perhaps--perhaps he would have tried for the diamonds again," she said,
almost inaudibly.

He looked at her with a sudden light in his eyes, a sudden flush on his
white face.

"Do--do you think so? Do you think it would have been any use?"

Nell rose, and brought some milk and water for him.

"I--I don't know," she said. "I--I think, if he felt that he wanted them
so badly, he would have tried again; and that--that--he might----"

He raised himself on his elbow and looked at her fixedly, his breath
coming fast, his eyes searching hers.

"Ah!" he said. "You think that if he came to the countess and whined
for the things, she would have given them to him out of sheer pity! Is
that it?"

Nell shook her head.

"One can't imagine his being such a cur, such a fool, as to do it!" he
said, sinking back. "And yet that is what I am! See how weak and
cowardly I am, Nell! I promised that I would never again trouble you
with my love; that I would be content to be your friend--your friend
only; and yet a few days' sickness, and I am crawling at your feet and
begging you to take compassion on me! And you'd do it!--yes, I know what
you meant when you said that the man would try for the diamonds
again!--out of womanly pity you would! Oh, shame on me for a cur to take
advantage of my weakness!"

"Hush, hush!" she said brokenly. "I meant what I said; I--I----" She
tried to smile. "I am a woman, and--and may change my mind!"