Lifting her wondering gaze to his she saw his eyes fixed on her mother's ring. She drew her hand from his arm and held it up to the light. A hundred shimmering rays flashed on the jewel. "You do not mean that it is really a _diamond_?" she cried, with sparkling eyes. "Did you not know it?" he asked, surprised. "I thought it was only a pretty, shining bit of glass," she answered. "Is it really and truly a genuine diamond? and worth--how much?" He took the warm, pretty hand in his on pretense of examining the ring. At that touch a quick, electric thrill ran from heart to heart. "Oh, girls, here she is," cried Violet Earle's voice at that moment, in a tone of apparent gaiety. "What a pretty tableau! Flirting with Mr. Valchester under the laurels." CHAPTER XII. Ronald Valchester looked round, slightly annoyed, as Violet Earle and a gay group of girls came up to him. "One should never contradict a lady," he said, "but really, Miss Earle, your charge against Miss Meredith is misplaced. I was only examining her ring." "And only think, Violet, Mr. Valchester says the stone is a real diamond. I am so surprised and delighted. I did not dream of such a thing until just now, when he spoke of it. I thought it only a mere, valueless bit of shining glass." The eager voice and pleased face were too truthful to admit of doubt. Everyone but Violet gave up the thought of a flirtation at once. The girls crowded round to look at Jaquelina's ring. "Where did you get it?" "Who gave it you?" were some of the questions they asked her. "It was my mother's ring," she said, in answer to them all. "I did not know till Mr. Valchester told me that it was a real diamond." "I suppose it is worth a great deal," one of the girls said to him. "A hundred dollars, perhaps--or it may be a hundred and fifty," he replied carelessly, while Jaquelina drew a long breath of surprise and delight. A hundred dollars seemed quite a little fortune in her eyes. She looked at the pretty ring in awe and wonder, to think that she had possessed it so long without dreaming of its value. "We need you to make up the dance, Lina," said Violet. "The Hamiltons, the Perrys and the Deanes have all gone home, and we have not enough for the Lancers unless you and Mr. Valchester will come to our assistance--will you?" Both answered yes, and went with the girls to take their places in the dance. Before the party was over he had said to her: "May I come over and hear you sing to-morrow afternoon--under the apple-trees?" "Yes," she answered simply. He came alone. It must have required an amount of _finesse_ and strategy for him to get away from Walter and Violet. But he accomplished it.