merry at the idea of teaching the man of genius his letters.

But, when once, through trying to play with her one of his own pieces
which she had learned from hearing him play it, he had discovered how
imperative it was to keep good time, he set himself to the task with a
determination that would have made anything of him that he was only
half as fit to become as a musician.

When, however, in a short time, he was able to learn from notes, he
grew so delighted with some of the music Mary got for him, entering
into every nicety of severest law, and finding therein a better liberty
than that of improvisation, that he ceased for long to play anything of
his own, and Mary became mortally afraid lest, in developing the
performer, she had ruined the composer.

"How can I go playing such loose, skinny things," he would say, "when
here are such perfect shapes all ready to my hand!"

But Mary said to herself that, if these were shapes, his were odors.

CHAPTER XLV.

THE SAPPHIRE.

One morning, as Mary sat at her piano, Mewks was shown into the room.
He brought the request from his master that she would go to him; he
wanted particularly to see her. She did not much like it, neither did
she hesitate.

She was shown into the room Mr. Redmain called his study, which
communicated by a dressing-room with his bedroom. He was seated,
evidently waiting for her.

"Ah, Miss Marston!" he said; "I have a piece of good news for you--so
good that I thought I should like to give it you myself."

"You are very kind, sir," Mary answered.

"There!" he went on, holding out what she saw at once was the lost ring.

"I am so glad!" she said, and took it in her hand. "Where was it found?"

"There's the point!" he returned. "That is just why I sent for you! Can
you suggest any explanation of the fact that it was found, after all,
in a corner of my wife's jewel-box? Who searched the box last?"

"I do not know, sir."

"Did you search it?"

"No, sir. I offered to help Mrs. Redmain to look for the ring, but she
said it was no use. Who found it, sir?"

"I will tell you who found it, if you will tell me who put it there."

"I don't know what you mean, sir. It must have been there all the time."

"That's the point again! Mrs. Redmain swears it was not, and could not
have been, there when she looked for it. It is not like a small thing,
you see. There is something mysterious about it."

He looked hard at Mary.

Now, Mary had