“You need not fear that. Virginius belongs to the jealous God, and will look after his position jealously. Besides, after a time, you will learn to like her.” And again he gave the sidelong, piercing glance. “Not I. Before I arrived some malign fairy godmother had stepped in and bestowed a bundle of infirmities; I suppose from other years.” Here Plucritus laughed right out, and his laugh was very clear and low. “Alas! poor Genius! you have been forestalled. A man afflicted that way is bitter enough and bad enough—but a woman!” “Yes. It has put me out considerably. For of all things I love the beauty of proportion. And I am not able to find out who has done it.” “Virginius,” said Plucritus, gaily, “it is to be the scourge and rod wherewith He chasteneth. Now, had I arrived there first I should have gifted her with rarest beauty—as a snare, you know.” “Well, I am going now,” Plucritus went on. “The removal of a paltry curse is but a paltry affair, scarcely worthy of my notice. But for all that, before I go I will lay you a wager, Genius, that you will not be able to perform your task.” “And what is the bet?” “Why, it will grow with time. At present it is nondescript and vague. Say that ring upon your finger. But to show you that I bear no ill-will let us shake hands for old comradeship.” And so these two clasped hands and parted, and Virginius and Genius were left alone. Then Genius removed from the middle finger of his left hand a ring, and held it in the moonlight. It was a perfect round of opals, designed on exactly the same plan as that worn by Plucritus, with a wonderful stone in the centre. “Look at this ring,” he said thoughtfully. “Every tint of the rainbow is blended in it, and sparkles at every turn, and yet running round from stone to stone, and centring in the largest like one pure drop, there is to-night a streak of blood, a streak of red, I should say, and that means pain. Now I know the meaning of that. It means failure and disappointment—two things that I detest more than any other.” Virginius then likewise removed from the middle finger of his left hand a ring of similar construction, but of diamonds, pure and flashing bright. “Look at this ring,” he said. “Every flash of dazzling light is imprisoned in it. To-night it has shone with marvellous brilliancy. Look at this centre stone; it is glorious. This means success.” “To you, perhaps. But your reckoning of success is somewhat strange”; and Genius looked at the dazzling purity with interest, for it was marvellously bright. Presently he added: “And yet had we compared rings with Plucritus I doubt not that he would have been able to express an opinion too. I noticed the scarlet bloodstones were expressly bright to-night.” “Even so,” replied the other spirit. CHAPTER II