But he was too quick for her, and was away at a distance before she had collected her dress.  And from a distance he spoke again.  ‘If you choose that it shall be lost, so be it.’

‘You had better take it,’ said she, following him slowly.  But he would not turn back;—­nor would she.  They met again in the hall for a moment.  ‘I should be sorry it should be lost,’ said he, ’because it belonged to my great uncle.  And I had hoped that I might live to see it very often.’

‘You can fetch it,’ she said, as she went to her room.  He however would not fetch it.  She had accepted it, and he would not take it back again, let the fate of the gem be what it might.

But to the feminine and more cautious mind the very value of the trinket made its position out there on the bench, within the grasp of any dishonest gardener, a burden to her.  She could not reconcile it to her conscience that it should be so left.  The diamond was a large one, and she had heard it spoken of as a stone of great value,—­so much so, that Silverbridge had been blamed for wearing it ordinarily.  She had asked for it in a joke, regarding it as a thing which could not be given away.  She could not go down herself and take it up again; but neither could she allow it to remain.  As she went to her room she met Mrs Jones already coming from hers.  ‘You will keep us waiting,’ said the hostess.

’Oh, no;—­nobody ever dressed so quickly.  But, Mrs Jones, will you do me a favour?’

‘Certainly.’

‘Any will you let me explain something?’

’Anything you like;—­from a hopeless engagement down to a broken garter.’

’I am suffering neither from one or the other.  But there is a most valuable ring lying out in the garden.  Will you send for it?’ Then of course the story had to be told.  ’You will, I hope, understand how I came to ask for it foolishly.  It was because it was the one thing which I was sure he would not give away.’

‘Why not take it?’

’Can’t you understand?  I wouldn’t for the world.  But you will be good enough,—­won’t you, to see that there is nothing else in it?’

‘Nothing of love?’

’Nothing in the least.  He and I are excellent friends.  We are cousins, and intimate, and all that.  I thought I might have had my joke, and now I am punished for it.  As for love, don’t you see that he is head and ears in love with Miss Boncassen?’

This was very imprudent on the part of Lady Mabel, who, had she been capable of clinging to her policy, would not now in a moment of strong feeling have done so much to raise obstacles in her own way.  ’But you will send for it, won’t you, and have it put on his dressing-table tonight?’ When he went to bed Lord Silverbridge found it on his table.

But before that time came he had twice danced with Miss Boncassen.  Lady Mabel having refused to dance with him.  ‘No;’ she said.  ’I am angry with you.  You ought to have felt that it did not become you as gentleman to subject me to inconvenience by throwing upon me the charge of that diamond.  You may be foolish enough to be indifferent about its value, but as you have mixed me up with it I cannot afford to have it lost.’