but he is no worse than his neighbours--all men are liars! You can't get a man made on purpose for you. What is your business in life at all but to find a husband? Why are girls in Society at all except to catch husbands? And they are scarce, I assure you. Why don't you take the man? You will never again have such a chance--a rising man--a man who can make other people work for him--a clever man. Besides, you are as good as engaged to him: you have made people talk: you have been seen with him everywhere. If you are not engaged to him you ought to be.' It was about a week after the reading of the play when this condition of suspicion and unquiet was brought to an end in a very unexpected manner. Mr. Jagenal called at the rooms in the morning about ten o'clock. Mrs. Elstree was taking breakfast in bed, as usual. Armorel was alone, painting. 'My dear young lady,' said her kindly adviser, 'I would not have disturbed you at this early hour but for a very important matter. You are well and happy, I trust? No, you are not well and happy. You look pale.' 'I have been a little worried lately,' Armorel replied. 'But never mind now.' 'Are you quite alone here? Your companion, Mrs. Elstree?' 'She has not yet left her room. We are quite alone.' 'Very well, then.' The lawyer sat down and began nursing his right knee. 'Very well. You remember, I dare say, making a certain communication to me touching a collection of precious stones in your possession? You made that communication to me five years ago, when first you came from Scilly. You returned to it again when you arrived at your twenty-first birthday, and I handed over to your own keeping all your portable property.' 'Of course I remember perfectly well.' 'Then does your purpose still hold?' 'It is still, and always, my duty to hand over those rubies to their rightful owner--the heir of Robert Fletcher, as soon as he can be found.' 'It is also my duty to warn you again, as I have done already, that there is no reason at all why you should do so. You are the sole heiress of your great-great-grandmother's estate. She died worth a great sum of money in gold, besides treasures in plate, works of art, lace, and jewels cut and uncut. The rambling story of an aged woman cannot be received as evidence on the strength of which you should hand over valuable property to persons unknown, who do not even claim it, and know nothing about it.' 'I must hand over those rubies,' Armorel repeated, 'to the person to whom they belong.' 'It is a very valuable property. If the estimate which was made for me was correct--I see no reason to doubt it--those jewels could be sold, separately, or in small parcels, for nearly thirty-five thousand pounds--a fortune larger than all the rest of your property put together--thirty-five thousand pounds!' 'That has nothing to do with the question, has it? I have got to restore those jewels, you see, to their rightful owner, as soon as he can be discovered.'