olled them. "Yours is. We can soon tell--"

But that sentence was never finished. As the gloves fell open in his
grasp he uttered a sudden, sharp ejaculation and I a smothered shriek.
An object of superlative brilliancy had rolled out from them. The
diamond! the gem which men said was worth a king's ransom, and which we
all knew had just cost a life.

III. ANSON DURAND

With benumbed senses and a dismayed heart, I stared at the fallen jewel
as at some hateful thing menacing both my life and honor.

"I have had nothing to do with it," I vehemently declared. "I did not
put the gloves in my bag, nor did I know the diamond was in them. I
fainted at the first alarm, and--"

"There! there! I know," interposed the inspector kindly. "I do not doubt
you in the least; not when there is a man to doubt. Miss Van Arsdale,
you had better let your uncle take you home. I will see that the hall
is cleared for you. Tomorrow I may wish to talk to you again, but I will
spare you all further importunity tonight."

I shook my head. It would require more courage to leave at that moment
than to stay. Meeting the inspector's eye firmly, I quietly declared,

"If Mr. Durand's good name is to suffer in any way, I will not forsake
him. I have confidence in his integrity, if you have not. It was not his
hand, but one much more guilty, which dropped this jewel into the bag."

"So! so! do not be too sure of that, little woman. You had better take
your lesson at once. It will be easier for you, and more wholesome for
him."

Here he picked up the jewel.

"Well, they said it was a wonder!" he exclaimed, in sudden admiration.
"I am not surprised, now that I have seen a great gem, at the famous
stories I have read of men risking life and honor for their possession.
If only no blood had been shed!"

"Uncle! uncle!" I wailed aloud in my agony.

It was all my lips could utter, but to uncle it was enough. Speaking
for the first time, he asked to have a passage made for us, and when the
inspector moved forward to comply, he threw his arm about me, and was
endeavoring to find fitting words with which to fill up the delay, when
a short altercation was heard from the doorway, and Mr. Durand came
rushing in, followed immediately by the inspector.

His first look was not at myself, but at the bag, which still hung from
my arm. As I noted this action, my whole inner self seemed to collapse,
dragging my happiness down with it. But my countenance r