dark-skinned. Having greeted the Count with the
greatest composure, she turned to Mr. Redmain with question in her eyes.

"Count Galofta," said Mr. Redmain in reply, "has just been telling me a
curious story of how a certain rascal got possession of a valuable
jewel from a lady with whom he pretended to be in love, and I thought
the opportunity a good one for showing you a strange discovery I have
made with regard to the sapphire Mrs. Redmain missed for so long. Very
odd tricks are played with gems--such gems, that is, as are of value
enough to make it worth a rogue's while."

So saying, he took the ring from one drawer, and from another a bottle,
from which he poured something into a crystal cup. Then he took a file,
and, looking at Galofta, in whose well-drilled features he believed he
read something that was not mere curiosity, said, "I am going to show
you something very curious," and began to file asunder that part of the
ring which immediately clasped the sapphire, the setting of which was
open.

"What a pity!" cried Sepia; "you are destroying the ring! What will
Cousin Hesper say?"

Mr. Redmain filed away, heedless; then with the help of a pair of
pincers freed the stone, and held it up in his hand.

"You see this?" he said.

"A splendid sapphire!" answered Count Galofta, taking it in his
fingers, but, as Mr. Redmain saw, not looking at it closely.

"I have always heard it called a splendid stone," said Sepia, whose
complexion, though not her features, passed through several changes
while all this was going on: she was anxious.

Nor did her inquisitor fail to surprise the uneasy glances she threw,
furtively though involuntarily, in the face of the Count--who never
once looked in hers: tolerably sure of himself, he was not sure of her.

"That ring, when I bought it--the stone of it," said Mr. Redmain, "was
a star sapphire, and worth seven hundred pounds; now, the whole affair
is worth about ten."

As he spoke, he threw the stone into the cup, let it lie a few moments,
and took it out again; when, almost with a touch, he divided it in two,
the one a mere scale.

"There!" he said, holding out the thin part on the tip of a finger,
"that is a slice of sapphire; and there!" holding out the rest of the
seeming stone, "that is glass."

"What a shame!" cried Sepia.

"Of course," said the Count, "you will prosecute the jeweler."

"I will not prosecute the jeweler," answered Mr. Redmain; "but I have
taken