"

Another mystery! But the blue diamond in its scintillating frame was so
alluring that Annesley could not refuse. She knew that she would have
more pleasure in peeping surreptitiously at the secret blue diamond than
in seeing the "obvious" white one on her finger.

"I can't give it up!" she said, laughing. "But I hope it isn't one of
those dreadful historic stones which have had murders committed for it,
like famous jewels one reads of. I should hate anything that came from
_you_ to bring bad luck."

"So should I hate it. If there's any bad luck coming, I want it myself,"
Knight said, gravely.

"I wish I hadn't spoken of bad luck to-day!" the girl remorsefully
exclaimed. "But I am not afraid. Give me the ring."

He gave it, and pulled from his pocket the slight gold chain on which he
meant it to hang. He was leisurely threading the ring upon this when two
men looked in at the door of the reading room.

One of the pair was of more than middle age. He was tall, thin, and
slightly stooping. His respectable clothes seemed too loose for him. His
hair and straggling beard were gray, contrasting with the sallow darkness
of his skin. He wore gold-rimmed spectacles, and peered through them as
if they were not strong enough for his failing sight.

The other man was younger. He, too, was dark and sallow, but his
close-cut hair was black. He was clean shaven and well dressed. He wore a
high, almost painfully high, collar, which caused him to keep his chin in
air. He might be a Spaniard or an Italian.

Annesley had certainly not seen him before. She told herself this twice
over. Yet--she was frightened. There was something familiar about him.
It must be her foolish imagination which took alarm at everything!

But, with fingers grown cold, she covered up the blue diamond.

CHAPTER IX

THE THING KNIGHT WANTED

When Dr. Torrance, who was to give her away, and the Marchese di Morello,
who was to be Knight's "best man," had been introduced to Annesley, she
laughed at the stupid "scare" which had chilled her heart for a moment.

If Knight had remained with her after his friends finished their call,
she might have confessed to him how she had fancied in the tall, dark
young man a likeness to one of the dreaded _watchers_. Until Knight spoke
their names she had feared that the pair looking in at the door were
there to spy; that one, at all events, was disguised--cleverly, yet not
cleverly enough quite to hide his id