Elsie was silent. She could not help remembering Rontivogli’s stupid, over-crafty reiterations. She knew that he knew. “And,” continued her father, examining the paper-cutter critically, “there isn’t the slightest doubt as to the genuineness of Prince Rontivogli himself.” Another long silence during which neither father nor daughter showed the slightest curiosity as to what thoughts the other’s face might be revealing. “Even if he did wilfully deceive in this--not vitally important--matter,” continued the aspirant for a princess-daughter, “I can imagine many extenuating circumstances. It isn’t the young man’s fault that he’s poor. It isn’t unnatural that he shouldn’t wish to expose his poverty--especially if he”--the Senator’s face took on a smile of fatherly benevolence--“happened to care for the young lady. ‘All’s fair in love and war,’ you know. And we must not judge harshly those who have less than we have. Still----” Rontivogli’s “temperament” was vigorously reinforcing his title in repairing the havoc the false jewel had played with him in Elsie’s mind. He had been a convincing lover; Elsie had too much vanity and too much desire to be loved madly not to be a credulous young woman. “I don’t know what to do, papa,” she said in the tone that proclaims a decision reached and a wish for support in it. [Illustration: “_I can imagine many extenuating circumstances_”] “Perhaps,” replied the Senator slowly, the personification of forgiving charity, “it might be best to let the matter drop.” “But I simply can’t _wear_ the ring! I’d feel such a fraud, and I’d soon be disliking him, though this may not be at all his fault. Besides, someone might----” “That could be easily arranged.” Her father’s eyes twinkled--he was preparing to treat the discovered deception as a little private joke on the prince between his daughter and himself. “We can get Tiffany to set an emerald in the ring. No one will know. And some day you can tease him about it. If he is innocent it would mortify him to learn the truth now, wouldn’t it?” Elsie smiled somewhat cheerfully. She was trying hard to make herself doubt the prince’s guilty knowledge. “It must be done right away,” she said.