warm hiding-place a ring with a flash of brilliants and a glint of blue.

Annesley's heart had given one great throb and then missed a beat, for
there had been an awful instant as the "plan" developed when she feared
that the ring with the blue diamond might, after all her pains, have
become entangled with the chain. If it had, the violence of the jerk
might have brought it to light.

But she had accomplished her task well. She could afford to smile, though
her lips trembled, as she saw the bird-of-prey look fade from Ruthven
Smith's face and turn into bewildered humiliation.

Right was on his side; yet he had the air of a culprit, and some wild
strain in Annesley's nature which had been asleep till that instant sang
a song of triumph in the victory of her "plan" over his. How delighted
Knight would be, and how amazed and grateful--grateful as he had been
when she "stood by him" with the watchers!

As Ruthven Smith stammered apologies her eyes flashed to Knight's; but
there was none of the defiant laughter she had expected, and felt bound
to reproach him for later.

He was pale, and though his immense power of self-control kept him in
check, Annesley shrank almost with horror from the fury of rage against
Ruthven Smith which she read in her husband's gaze and the beating of the
veins in his temples.

Terrified lest his anger should break out in words, she hurried on to say
what she would have said before the sudden move by the jewel expert.

"Here is the sapphire ring you asked about, Knight," she said. "I was
just going to take off this chain and give it to you to show to the Duke
when----"

"When Mr. Ruthven Smith took an unwarrantable liberty," Knight finished
the sentence icily.

"I--I meant nothing. Really, I can't tell you how I regret----" the
wretched man stuttered. But Knight was without mercy.

"Pray don't try any further," he cut in. "My wife is not a figurine in a
shop window to have her ornaments stared at and pawed over. You are an
old friend of hers, Mr. Ruthven Smith, and you are my guest--or rather my
friend Annesley-Seton's guest--therefore I will say no more. But in some
countries where I have lived such an incident would have ended
differently."

"Oh, _please_, Knight!" exclaimed Annesley, thankful that at least he had
spoken his harsh words in so low a voice that no one outside their own
group of three could hear. But she was shocked out of her brief
exultation by his white rage and t