The gift was plainly a costly one, and every eye in the room followed it. The messenger reached the table and bowed low. "With the compliments of His Highness the Rajah of Sharapura!" he said, and deposited the casket upon the table. The Colonel glanced at Sir Reginald who at once responded. "Convey our thanks to the Rajah," he said, "and say that the gracious gift will be much appreciated! I shall give myself the pleasure of calling upon him to assure him of this in person to-morrow." The messenger salaamed again deeply, and withdrew. "I wish he'd keep his precious moonstones!" grumbled the Colonel. "They are more bother than they're worth. Hurry up, there, Noel! It's getting late." "Just finished, sir," came Noel's cheery answer. "I must just get a hat to hold the ballot-papers." He did not offer a paper to Olga, who still kept her place by Sir Reginald, her young face white and tired under the pile of fair, powdered hair. "I think I shall go when this is over," she whispered to Sir Reginald. "So you shall," he said kindly. "I will escort you myself. I expect we shall find Nick waiting for us," he added, with a smile. "Some business has delayed him, I have no doubt." She tried to smile in answer, but her lips quivered in spite of her. She turned her face aside, ashamed of her weakness. Noel came up with the ballot-papers, and emptied them out upon the table without a glance at her. "I must get you to help," said Sir Reginald, drawing her gently forward. "I can manage, sir," said Noel shortly. But the Colonel broke in, "Nonsense, Wyndham! One scrutineer isn't enough." And Noel pushed across a handful of papers to Olga without lifting his eyes. With fingers that trembled slightly, she began to sort, assisted by Sir Reginald. Several of the papers bore her own name, a fact which at first she scarcely noticed, but which very soon became too conspicuous to be ignored. "I believe it's yours," murmured Sir Reginald at her elbow. "Oh, impossible!" she said, flushing. But in a very few minutes the suspicion was verified. Noel looked up from his sorting with a brief, "You've won!" Olga raised her eyes swiftly, but he instantly averted his, and turned to communicate the result to the Colonel. The latter shook hands with her, and shouted the news in his loudest parade voice to the assembled company. There ensued applause and congratulations that Olga would gladly have foregone. Then, as her friends began to press round, Sir Reginald stepped forward. "It is my proud privilege," he said, "to present to Miss Ratcliffe in the Rajah's name his very handsome gift." He took the golden key from the top of the casket and handed it with a bow to Olga. She took it with a murmur of thanks, and stood hesitating, possessed by a very curious feeling of dread. "Open it!" said Noel impatiently. "Open it for her!" said Sir Reginald, divining a certain amount of nervousness as the cause of her hesitation.