rt. And
my mother, being one of the very best, could not long retain her wrath
against the Squire Faggus especially when she came to reflect, upon
Annie's suggestion, how natural, and one might say, how inevitable
it was that a young man fond of adventure and change and winning good
profits by jeopardy, should not settle down without some regrets to a
fixed abode and a life of sameness, however safe and respectable.
And even as Annie put the case, Tom deserved the greater credit for
vanquishing so nobly these yearnings of his nature; and it seemed very
hard to upbraid him, considering how good his motives were; neither
could Annie understand how mother could reconcile it with her knowledge
of the Bible, and the one sheep that was lost, and the hundredth piece
of silver, and the man that went down to Jericho.

Whether Annie's logic was good and sound, I am sure I cannot tell; but
it seemed to me that she ought to have let the Jericho traveller alone,
inasmuch as he rather fell among Tom Fagusses, than resembled them.
However, her reasoning was too much for mother to hold out against; and
Tom was replaced, and more than that, being regarded now as an injured
man. But how my mother contrived to know, that because she had been too
hard upon Tom, he must be right about the necklace, is a point which I
never could clearly perceive, though no doubt she could explain it.

To prove herself right in the conclusion, she went herself to fetch
Lorna, that the trinket might be examined, before the day grew dark. My
darling came in, with a very quick glance and smile at my cigarro (for I
was having the third by this time, to keep things in amity); and I waved
it towards her, as much as to say, 'you see that I can do it.' And then
mother led her up to the light, for Tom to examine her necklace.

On the shapely curve of her neck it hung, like dewdrops upon a white
hyacinth; and I was vexed that Tom should have the chance to see it
there. But even if she had read my thoughts, or outrun them with her
own, Lorna turned away, and softly took the jewels from the place which
so much adorned them. And as she turned away, they sparkled through
the rich dark waves of hair. Then she laid the glittering circlet in
my mother's hands; and Tom Faggus took it eagerly, and bore it to the
window.

'Don't you go out of sight,' I said; 'you cannot resist such things as
those, if they be what you think them.'

'Jack, I shall have to trounce thee yet.