The necklace was an heirloom; it had started to grow in England of old; it had grown through the generations of the family in the New World.

It had begun as a ring—­given with the plighting of troth; it had become ear-rings; it had become a pendant; it had become a tiara; it had become part of a necklace; it had become a necklace—­completed circlet of many hopes.

As Isabel entered Mrs. Conyers started forward, smiling, to clasp it around her neck as the expression of her love and pleasure; then she caught sight of Isabel’s face, and with parted lips she stood still.

Isabel, white, listless, had sunk into the nearest chair, and now said, quietly and wearily, noticing nothing: 

“Grandmother, do not get up to see me off in the morning.  My trunk is packed; the others are already at the station.  All my arrangements are made.  I’ll say good-by to you now,” and she stood up.

Mrs. Conyers stood looking at her.  Gradually a change passed over her face; her eyes grew dull, the eyelids narrowed upon the balls; the round jaws relaxed; and instead of the smile, hatred came mysteriously out and spread itself rapidly over her features:  true horrible revelation.  Her fingers tightened and loosened about the necklace until it was forced out through them, until it glided, crawled, as though it were alive and were being strangled and were writhing.  She spoke with entire quietness: 

“After all that I have seen to-night, are you not going to marry Rowan?”

Isabel stirred listlessly as with remembrance of a duty: 

“I had forgotten, grandmother, that I owe you an explanation.  I found, after all, that I should have to see Rowan again:  there was a matter about which I was compelled to speak with him.  That is all I meant by being with him to-night:  everything now is ended between us.”

“And you are going away without giving me the reason of all this?”

Isabel gathered her gloves and shawl together and said with simple distaste: 

“Yes.”

As she did so, Mrs. Conyers, suddenly beside herself with aimless rage, raised one arm and hurled the necklace against the opposite wall of the room.  It leaped a tangled braid through the air and as it struck burst asunder, and the stones scattered and rattled along the floor and rolled far out on the carpet.

She turned and putting up a little white arm, which shook as though palsied, began to extinguish the lights.  Isabel watched her a moment remorsefully: 

“Good night, grandmother, and good-by.  I am sorry to go away and leave you angry.”

As she entered her room, gray light was already creeping in through the windows, left open to the summer night.  She went mournfully to her trunk.  The tray had been lifted out and placed upon a chair near by.  The little tops to the divisions of the tray were all thrown back, and she could see that the last thing had been packed into its place.  Her hand satchel was open on her bureau, and she could see the edge of a handkerchief and the little brown wicker neck of a cologne bottle.  Beside the hand satchel were her purse, baggage checks, and travelling ticket:  everything was in readiness.  She looked at it all a long time: