“Why not call it the well?” he asked, while they balanced themselves on the circle of stones, and he placed his arm round her waist to support her. “Simon Ferrier called it the pool, and I think it’s a very good name.” “Darling, he only did so because he was unable to find the name of a gem which began with ‘W’.” “I’m very glad he did,” said Marie quickly, “and that he could not find one which began with ‘K’. If he had we should never have solved the riddle.” “Oh, don’t let us talk any more about the riddle or the sad events connected with it,” cried Fuller, a shade passing over his happy face; “let us leave the past alone and live in the present.” “I am living in the future when we shall be husband and wife.” “That desirable state of things will come into being to-morrow.” “I know,” Marie nestled in her lover’s arms. “But I want to talk of all that has happened Alan. Then we will say no more about it.” “But, Marie, we have talked over everything again and again.” “I dare say; but I want to ask questions and to be quite satisfied in my own mind that everything disagreeable is at an end.” “Very good,” said Alan, resigning himself to the inevitable with a good grace, for he knew Marie’s obstinacy of yore. “What do you wish to say?” “Well, in the first place, I am still sorry that poor Mr. Bakche did not live to get his share of the jewels. For you know, Alan, they really did belong to him as a descendant of the Rajah of Kam.” “My dearest, the jewels were legally assigned to George Inderwick for a very great service. I am sure that the Rajah of Kam in those days would rather have lost his jewels than his wife and only son. As to Bakche, I am sorry that he died in so terrible a way, and had he lived, undoubtedly I should have kept the promise made on your behalf and handed over one third of the treasure. But Bakche did not act well, or honorably.” “What do you mean?” asked Marie opening her azure eyes very widely, “If he had not spoken out, poor Uncle Ran might have been hanged.” “Quite so, dear. But he only spoke out when bribed to do so. He knew all along that Miss Grison was guilty, and yet held his tongue.” “He wouldn’t have done so had Uncle Ran been brought to trial?” Alan smiled grimly. “I shouldn’t like to have given him the chance,” he said in a skeptical tone. “Bakche, like most people, acted in an entirely selfish way, and was ready to sacrifice every one for the sake of gaining his own ends. Had Miss Grison given him the peacock, and had he solved the riddle and secured the jewels, he would not have confessed what he knew.” “But Jotty might have done so.”