n the white velvet lining lay a pretty set
of jewels--sapphires, rarely pellucid; then clear pendants sparkling
like drops of deep sea-water frozen into coruscant solidity.
"They were one of Mr. Brunwalde's bridal gifts to me," she said,
scarcely heeding Theo's low cry of admiration. "I should have worn them
upon my wedding-day. You are not so careless as most girls, Theodora,
and so I will trust them to you. Hold up your arm and let me clasp one
of the bracelets on it. You have a pretty arm, Theo."
It was a pretty arm in truth, and the flashing, rose-tinted pendants set
it off to a great advantage. Theo, herself, scarcely dared to believe
her senses. Her wildest dreams had never pictured anything so beautiful
as these pretty, modest sapphires. Was it possible that she--she was to
wear them? The whole set of earrings, necklace, bracelets, rings, and
everything, with all their crystallized drops and clusters! It was a
sudden opening of the gates of fairyland! To go to London would have
been happiness enough; but to go so like an enchanted princess, in all
her enchanted finery, was more than she could realize. A color as
brilliant as the scarlet in Lady Throckmorton's frayed palm-leaf shawl
flew to her cheeks, she fairly clapped her hands in unconscious ecstasy.
"Oh, Pam!" she cried, with pathetic gratitude. "How good you are--how
good--how good! I can't believe it, I really can't. And I will take such
care of them--such care of everything. You shall see the dresses are not
even crushed, I will be so careful." And then she ended with another
little shower of impulsive caresses.
But it was late by this time, and with her usual forethought--a
forethought which no enthusiasm could make her forget--Pamela sent her
back to bed. She would be too tired to sew to-morrow, she said,
prudently, and there was plenty of hard work to be done; so, with a
timid farewell-kiss, Theo went to her room, and in opening her door,
awakened Joanna and Elin, who sat up in bed, dimly conscious of a white
figure wrapped in their august relative's shawl, and bearing a candle to
light up scarlet cheeks, and inconsistent eyes, and tangled back hair.
"I am going to London," the voice pertaining to this startling figure
broke out. "Joanna and Elin, do you hear? I am going to London, to Lady
Throckmorton's."
Joanna rubbed her eyes sleepily.
"Oh, yes!" she said, not too amiably by any means. "Of course you are.
I knew you would. You are everl
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