"I can tell at once by the feel of them. That now"--pointing to a heavily-gemmed bracelet--"the emeralds are real, the rubies are real, but they are all small. The white stones are not diamonds, but very good imitations. They look almost as well, but they are not diamonds. If they were that bracelet alone would be worth some hundreds of pounds." "Deil take 'em! And you can tell that by feeling at 'em?" "I can tell in a moment. You see I have handled many jewels--some of the finest in the world, and I have seen very many imitations of them." "The deil ye have! How that?" "I have lived among those to whom they belonged, and I am very fond of precious stones." He went away to his own cabin and came back presently with a good-sized bundle done up in blue velvet, and opened it before her. Wulfrey was surprised at the extent of his treasure-trove. For these were only his most precious possessions. He knew that he had in addition considerable store of silver articles which he had been allowed to examine from time to time. If Macro's idea had been to dazzle her with his riches he must have been disappointed. For she greeted the display with a depreciatory "T't--t't!"--and said presently, as she picked out a piece here and there for examination, "It looks like a peddler's pack.... And it makes me sad to think of those to whom they belonged...." "They've no further use for them. And there's no telling who they belonged to. They're for any man's getting now," said Macro defensively. "I suppose so. All the same ... For me--no!" with a most decided shake of the head. "Are they good, or is there false ones among them too?" "Many are good," she said, passing them rapidly and somewhat distastefully under her delicate fingers, "but not by any means all.... You have laboured hard to accumulate so much." "Harder than ever I worked in my life before, but it suits me fine." "But what good is it all unless you can get away from here and turn it to some good use?" "We'll talk of that when I've got all I want, mebbe." "You are like a miser then, ever accumulating and loth to spend." "Just that! Ye see I never had siccan a chance before,--nor many others either. Ye wouldna care for a ring or two, or mebbe a bracelet or a brooch?" "Oh, I could not. It is good of you to offer, but ... no, I thank you. They would always make me think of the skeletons out there. Poor things!" "They don't hurt, and they're aye laughing as if 'twas all a rare joke," which made her shiver with discomfort and draw her blanket closer round her neck at the back. "Well, well!" said he, with a hoarse laugh, as he made up his bundle again. "Folks has queer notions. Ef 't 'adn't been for me----" "And the Doctor," she interposed quickly. "Ay--and the Doctor there----" "I know," she cut him short, "and it is very much nicer to be sitting here by a warm fire than tumbling about on a mast out there. I appreciate it, I assure you."