Next day, Sunday, a number of the party went to church, their host among them--but Katherine and Lady Garribardine did not accompany them. They were seated on the tennis lawn watching a game when the church-goers joined the group. Three magnificent cedars of Lebanon made a great patch of shade, and here the chairs were placed. The Duke took one and stretched himself on it as though fatigued. His grey felt hat was tilted over his eyes. He made a pleasing picture of length of limb and grace and distinction--the same curious emotion crept over Katherine again as she had already experienced--half quiver, half shock--a strong desire to be very close to him, to touch him, to feel herself caressing and caressed. His hands were clasped idly upon his knee, and his voice as he spoke softly to a lady was lazy and complacent. Oh! how extremely bitter the whole situation was proving to be! The emerald ring seemed to flash green fire as a tiny glint of sunlight struck it; it caught the attention of the sprightly dame to whom His Grace was talking. "What a very wonderful ring that is you wear, Duke. Has it a history?" "Yes, a very remarkable one." Katherine listened, deeply interested, she had so often wondered about this ring, too. "It has been in the family since the last Crusade. It came back with the tradition attached that it was the famous graven emerald seal which Theodoras made for Polycrates, tyrant of Samos, about 590 B. C., and which was in vain thrown into the sea to be lost! It was brought back to Polycrates in the body of a fish next day. Such exampled luck was considered to be ominous by his ally, Amasis, who broke off all alliance with him in consequence. And truly enough, he was not long after murdered from jealousy of his good fortune! The ring then disappeared and was supposed later to have been found by a Roman who handed it down for generations until it somehow got back into Greece, and when wrecked there on his way home from Palestine, the Rievaulx of the day obtained it from its owner, how, history does not say, and it has always been with us ever since--a strange belief attaching to it--that if life is happy it must not be worn, but that if things have gone ill then it is safe to wear it for the rest of time." He put out his hand for the lady to look at the stone and a knot of interested people drew near. "You see," His Grace continued, "it is deeply graven with a lyre--and sometimes it seems to be dull and sometimes it flashes angrily." "Are you not afraid to wear it?" some tactless person said. The Duke replied gravely--"Why should I be? I have amply fulfilled all the conditions attached," and then the company, remembering the dark and ugly shadow of the mad Duchess, which had hung over his life for so many years, all seemed to talk at once and so the slightly awkward moment passed. But Katherine thought deeply upon the subject as she sat in a wicker chair.