"What a fractious, testy, touchy fellow this is!" he said irritably to himself, when he was alone. "A perfect John Bull, absolutely sure of his own infallibility; sure that he knows everything about everything; that he is always right, and always must be right, and that any one who doubts his always being right is either a knave or a fool. _Tush!_ I am glad I gave him that thrust about Piers and Annabel. It hurt. I could see it hurt, though he kept his hand to cover the wound." The Duke was quite right. Squire Atheling was hurt. He went straight home. In any trouble, his first medicine was his wife; for though he pretended to think little of her advice, he always took it--or regretted that he had not taken it. He found her half-asleep in the chair by the window which she had taken in order to watch Lord Exham and Kitty ride down the street together. She was at rest and happy; but the Squire's entrance, at an hour not very usual, interested her. "Why, John!" she asked, "what has happened? I thought you went to the House at three o'clock." "I have some questions to ask in my own house, first," he answered. "Maude, I am sure you remember the ring I gave you one night at Belward,--the ring you promised to marry me on, the sapphire ring with the little padlock?" "To be sure I remember it, John." "You used to wear it night and day. I have not seen it on your hand for a long time." "It became too small for me. I had to take it off. Whatever has brought it into your thoughts at this time?" "I saw one just like it. Where did you put your ring?" "In my jewel-case." "Is it there now." She hesitated a moment, but a life-time of truth is not easily turned aside. "John," she answered, "it is not there. It is gone." "I thought so. Did you sell it for Edgar, some time when he wanted money?" "Edgar never asked me for a shilling. I never gave him a shilling unknown to you. And I did not sell the ring at all. I would never have done such a thing." "But I have seen the ring on a lady's hand." "Do you know the lady?" "I think I could find her." "I will tell you about it, John. I loaned it to Kitty, and Piers saw it and wanted one made like it for Kitty, and so he took it away to show it to his jeweller, and lost it that very night. He has moved heaven and earth to find it, but got neither word nor sight of it. You ought to tell him where you saw it." "Not yet, Maude." "Tell me then." "To be sure! I saw it on Miss Vyner's hand." "Impossible!" "Sure!" "But how?" "Thou mayst well ask 'how.' Piers gave it to her." "I wouldn't believe such a thing, not on a seven-fold oath." "Thou knowest little about men. There are times when they would give their souls away. Thou knowest nothing about such women as Miss Vyner. They have a power that while it lasts is omnipotent. Antony lost a world for Cleopatra, and Herod would have given half, yes, the whole of his kingdom to a dancing woman, if she had asked him for it."