wn; but, as she declared to her aunt, she
would not accept Tom though he were made of diamonds from head to
foot. Accept Tom, when she could not even bring herself to think of
becoming the wife of Jonathan Stubbs! If Colonel Stubbs could not be
received by her imagination as an Angel of Light, how immeasurably
distant from anything angelic must be Tom Tringle! "Of course it must
go back," she said, when the question had to be decided as to the
future fate of the necklace. As a consequence poor Mr. Dosett was
compelled to make a special journey into the City, and to deposit a
well-sealed parcel in the hands of Tom Tringle himself. "Your cousin
sends her kind regards," he said, "but cannot bring herself to accept
your magnificent present."

Tom had been very much put about since his visit to the Crescent. Had
his aunt merely told him that his present would be inefficacious,
he would have taken that assurance as being simply her opinion, and
would have still entertained some hopes in the diamonds. But these
tidings as to another lover crushed him altogether. And such a lover!
The very man whom he had asked to write his letter for him! Why
had not Colonel Stubbs told him the truth when thus his own secret
had become revealed by an accident? He understood it all now,--the
"Ayala," and the "Mister," and the reason why the Colonel could not
write the letter. Then he became very angry with the Colonel, whom he
bitterly accused of falsehood and treason. What right had the Colonel
to meddle with his cousin at all? And how false he had been to say
nothing of what he himself had done when his rival had told him
everything! In this way he made up his mind that it was his duty
to hate Colonel Stubbs, and if possible to inflict some personal
punishment upon him. He was reckless of himself now, and, if he could
only get one good blow at the Colonel's head with a thick stick,
would be indifferent as to what the law might do with him afterwards.
Or perhaps he might be able to provoke Colonel Stubbs to fight with
him. He had an idea that duels at present were not in fashion. But
nevertheless, in such a case as this, a man ought to fight. He could
at any rate have the gratification of calling the Colonel a coward if
he should refuse to fight.

He was the more wretched because his spirit within him was cowed
by the idea of the Colonel. He did acknowledge to himself that his
chance could be but bad while such a rival as Colonel Stubbs stoo