“No way at all,” said Hurstmanceaux sternly. “They will go to Coutts’s, and stay there until his majority. By the way, where are they now?” “In my jewel-safe,” she answered sullenly. “What imprudence!” “It has a Chubb’s lock.” “Why did you not keep them at the bank? Nobody wears such jewels as these every evening.” “I wear them very often.” Something aggressive in her tone aroused her brother. “You will not wear them any more,” he said harshly. “You must learn to realize that they do not belong to you.” “I shall dispute that fact before the court.” “What court?” “I do not know yet, but some court--some court which sees to such things.” “Pray be reasonable. You have not an inch of ground to stand on; there is the settlement renewed every generation; the jewels are chattels and the chattels are devised to the heir; they go with the dukedom.” “I shall see Mr. Gregge.” “Pray do. Mr. Gregge is not a very scrupulous man, but he is a man of sense, and he will not tell you to run your head against a stone wall.” “If he do not do his duty, I shall employ someone else.” “No decent attorney in the three kingdoms would take up such a case. You have no more title to the Otterbourne jewels than the woman selling primroses at the corner of the street.” “So _you_ say.” “It is not what I say, it is what the law says; what the dead men’s wills say; what the Lord Chancellor himself would say if he were asked. You are a person accustomed to do whatever you like and to bewitch any man who approaches you, but you will find there are some things stronger than yourself, and one of them is the common law of England, which in this instance is dead against you.” With these words he rose. Then, with one of those audacious inspirations which might have made her a great general had she been a man, she added between her teeth-- “Perhaps you would like to see them and convince yourself of their safety? Will you come to my room? The safe is screwed to its stand.” She spoke without apprehension because she knew that the false diamonds would defy detection by anyone except an expert. Hurstmanceaux was reassured by the frankness of the offer. “No, oh, no!” he said less coldly. “I will of course take your word for it that they are all there.” “You are really too confiding,” said his sister very contemptuously. She rose also with tightened teeth, dilated nostrils, flashing eyes. “Your conduct is infamous! To insult your own sister!” “There is no insult,” said Hurstmanceaux. “An honest woman would not want to be asked twice to give up what is not her own.” “Out of my presence!” she cried with a shrill sound in her voice like that of the wind as it rises in storm.