"No; she never did that. They were always in the strong room at her
banker's. She hadn't even seen them, much less worn them, for years
until, on her order, they were brought to her from the bank yesterday
morning so that she might appear in them last night, for last night was
an exceptional occasion."

"In what particular way?"

"It was to be Mrs. Glossop's last 'at home' for a long, long time. Her
health not being very good of late, the doctors had ordered a voyage to
the Cape, and everything has long been in readiness for her departure
next Wednesday fortnight. As last night's affair was in the nature of a
sort of leave-taking, the duchess resolved to come out of her recent
retirement and to wear the famous Siva stones. She did so. I hear from
Captain Glossop that she made her appearance so covered with jewels that
she appeared like a jeweller's window, in the midst of which shone the
two amazing diamonds, suspended by a slender chain about her neck, and
putting every other jewel she wore to shame by their gorgeous
magnificence."

"I can well imagine that they would, Mr. Narkom. They produced a
sensation, of course?"

"Rather! The captain tells me that they fairly took away his breath. It
was the first time either he or his wife had ever seen them; indeed, it
appears that it was the first time the young Duke of Heatherlands
himself, who, with his bride, was present, had set eyes upon the
appallingly magnificent things. He was heard to say to his young duchess
that it was 'not only beastly vulgar, but beastly rough--Heatherland
Court with a ton weight of mortgages upon it, you without so much as a
decent bracelet, and all that money locked up and useless, when a tenth
of it would put baby and us in clover!'"

"He was right there, Mr. Narkom; it was rough. He, with a wife and a
little son, and loaded down with debts and cares at three-and-twenty,
and the duchess with millions lying idle and unheeded at eighty-three!
Well, go on, please; what followed?"

"After remaining 'on exhibition' until half-past eleven," resumed the
superintendent, "the duchess took leave of the other guests, kissed Mrs.
Glossop good-night, and retired to her own rooms with the avowed
intention of going to bed. About twelve minutes later the young Duke of
Heatherlands, too, left the room, and went up after her."

"Hum-m-m! What for?"

"He says for the purpose of making one final appeal to her, to what
womanhood was in her, by showin