"Yes, dear; and it is made of the _best gold_ for the purpose--_eighteen carat gold_! You must on no account tell the others a single _word_ about it; but I will give it you sometimes to wear when you and I go out by ourselves in the evenings. It shall shine on your little wrist then, Fanchon, and--how _sweet_ you will look in it!" "Oh--but may I see it?" said Fanchon, her lips trembling as she spoke. "Not until you most faithfully promise that you will not say a word about it to the other girls. There are, occasionally, times when I may even want to wear it myself. But it will belong to you--it will be _your_ property, and when we come back from the sea, I will present it to you absolutely. Make me a faithful promise that you will say nothing about the bangle, and you shall constantly wear it when the others are not looking on--and--when we return, it shall be _yours_!" "Oh, I promise," said Fanchon. "I expect I was a sort of a brute this morning--I didn't understand you could be _so_ kind. Are you making a fool of me, Brenda--do you mean what you say?" "Of course I mean what I say. You faithfully promise?" "I _do_--indeed--indeed; and I will explain things to the others, and I'll force them to believe me--they generally do everything that I wish. You _will_ buy us all the lovely clothes, won't you, _darling_ Brenda!" "I have said so, Fanchon." "And you _will_ take me out in the evenings when the other two are in bed?" "Most certainly I will." "Then I _will_ promise _everything_--I will be your friend through thick and thin, and I'm awfully sorry I was cross to you and--and disbelieved you. Of course, I see that dear papa has to be managed; he is so funny about our dress--so different from other men." "Your father is a most saint-like man, and you must never say that he is funny, for that is not right. But saint-like men have to be managed in this unsaintlike world, that is all, dear--every woman understands that, she wouldn't be worth her salt if she didn't." "Please, please show me the bracelet," said Fanchon. Then Brenda went to the drawer where her treasures were and took out the little old box where her false jewellery had reposed, and where now the beautiful bangle lay in all its pristine freshness. She hated beyond words to see Fanchon even touch it, but she felt that she had to pay this price to secure her own safety, and she even permitted the girl to clasp it round her wrist, and to look at it with the colour flaming into her cheeks and the light of longing in her dull eyes. "Oh--isn't it just--_too_ perfect!" said Fanchon.