"Well, Miss Hester, it belonged to the second son of Cottiswoode many a long year ago," said Alice; "it was in a time when there was little learning--far different from now. But them that were learned had great arts that are never heard of now-a-days. The story goes that he got it from a spirit--but you're not to think, dear, that I put faith in that--he had been a strange gentleman, given up to learning and caring for nothing else--though good to the poor and kind-hearted, as I have heard. There was but two sons of them, and the eldest, the Squire that was, a great gentleman at court, gave Cottiswoode to his brother to live in; and then he used to live all solitary, reading his books and studying everything in the earth and the skies, and was counted a great scholar in his day. And wherever he went and wherever he was seen, he wore that ring on his left hand." Involuntarily, without thinking what I did, I removed my ring to my left hand as Alice spoke. In spite of her professions of unbelief, Alice spoke very reverentially, and impressed her hearer with a strong conviction of the truth of what she said. "Yes, dear, there he is," said Alice, pointing suddenly to one of the portraits, "if you look close, you'll see the ring on his finger; and I don't doubt he was a fine young gentleman, and all the look of a scholar about his brow." I started with great surprise--the portrait--the one which I thought like Edgar Southcote when he was a boy--was the very same one at which I had been looking before she came in. "I have heard of him often," I said--"but I never heard this story--and, Alice, my father never wore this diamond while we were in Cottiswoode."