But he had his revenge, or thought he had, when she came to the jewels. She had pointed them out, but only to save a worse disaster. Injury to her father? "Yes, and----" She paused and her voice thrilled. "In one of the secret drawers," she continued, "there was an immense amount of currency in large denominations, the loss of which would cripple the business, if not bankrupt Mr. Stoughton. His hand was feeling its way along the face of this drawer. In another moment he would have discovered the tiny knob by the manipulation of which this drawer opens. To save the struggle which would have ensued, I directed his attention elsewhere. I don't believe I did wrong." "But you accepted one of these articles as your share. Do you believe you did right in this?" "Yes. I will not mention the smallness of the share, for that makes the portion saved for the owner of little account. Yet that portion is saved. I wish it had been a larger one." "No doubt. So that was your motive--to save this souvenir for Mr. Stoughton?" Casting a proud look at Philip, she moved a step nearer to the table on which the bracelet lay. "Will you be good enough," she asked her interrogator, "to take up that bracelet and read the initials on the inner side?" "R. S. T.," read the official. "Does any one here know Mrs. Stoughton's maiden name?" Evidently not, for all remained silent. "Does any one here know my mother's maiden name?" Philip started. "Yes," he cried, "I do. Her name was Rhoda Selden Titus." [Illustration: "_'R. S. T.' read the official_"] "R. S. T.," smiled Grace. "This bracelet was my mother's. Mr. Stoughton allowed me to place this keepsake and some other valuables of mine in his private safe. Gentlemen, the whole of those jewels were mine--my sole and only fortune. I was keeping them for"--her eyes stole toward Philip--"for my marriage portion, the secret and great surprise I had planned for my future husband. They are worth some five thousand dollars--my mother was the daughter of a wealthy man. They would have given us a home if I could have kept them; they would also have given my husband a start in business, and this I should have preferred, but I could not let Mr. Stoughton's securities be endangered, and so they had to go. Philip, cannot you forgive me when you think that it was through my folly the secret of the safe became known?" "I forgive you?" He could not show his feelings, but his eyes were eloquent; so were Fellows's; so were those of the various officials. "You can prove these statements, Miss Lee?" asked one. "Easily," she replied. Then they turned to Fellows. CHAPTER XX "_A jewel of far greater value_"