“Wasn’t that what you were going to say? No, my child, you were going to say something far more civil, but not half so true. We may be worthy, but we are prosy; and why should we not own it? And why should you not own that you enjoyed yourself more at Denham Court than you can possibly do here? Why, that is the very thing you went there for!” “I ought never to have gone at all.” “Now that is a mistake, my dear child. If you were to remain always boxed up in this dreary old vault, you would soon take to spectacles and a crutch. Take all the amusement that comes in your way, little woman, and, after the first natural reaction, you will work all the better for it. And now tell me all about Denham Court; I’ve been saving myself up for your description as a little treat, though I’ve heard something of your doings, Miss Prim, from another quarter.” And this was what Laurence, in his passion, called “spying upon me,” when Mr. Rayner owned that he heard what went on at Denham Court! “I heard, for one thing, that you wore the pendant I gave you.” He seemed pleased at this, I thought. “Yes, it looked so beautiful with my muslin frock. And, oh, do you know, some of the people thought it was made of real diamonds!” “Did they really?” “Yes; I knew you would laugh when I told you that. But now you see it wasn’t so silly of me not to know the difference when you first showed them to me, when those people who have worn diamonds and beautiful jewels all their lives were taken in by them. One of the gentlemen, Mr. Carruthers, said he once saw a pendant just like it in real ones, and it was worth fifteen hundred pounds. Do you think it is true?” “I dare say it is. Stones of that size would be very valuable. To whom did it belong?” “He didn’t say. And it had initials behind it too just like mine.” “How very curious! The same initials?” “Oh, I don’t know! I shouldn’t think they were the same.” “I thought he said they were the same.” “Oh, no! He wanted to see the back of the pendant; but I wouldn’t let him.” “Why not?” “Well, you see, Mr. Rayner, I--I thought, if he still went on thinking they were real, as I believe he did, and he were to find out by the initials who gave it me, why--why, he would think you must be mad, Mr. Rayner, to give diamonds to a governess!” said I, laughing. “Fifteen hundred pounds! Why, it would be about thirty-eight years’ salary!” Mr. Rayner laughed too. “That was very sharp of you,” he said. “If he had been as sharp as you, he would have got at it, and found out the initials, if he really wanted to know them.” “But I didn’t wear my pendant again.” “Why not?” “Because people noticed it too much, and--and, Mr. Rayner, it is really too handsome for me.” “Nonsense! Nothing is too handsome for you, child; haven’t your new admirers told you that?” I laughed and blushed.