The Diva's Ruby

opened the two envelopes before reading her other letters, though after assuring herself that there was nothing from Logotheti. He did not write every day, by any means, for h

tle than to spoil her into indifference by writing too much. Women are often like doctors,

f patent medicines, 'confidential' communications from manufacturers of motor cars, requests to sing for nothing at charity concerts, anonymous letters of abuse, real business letters fro

er to stoop down and bring their noses almost against a note she held in her hand. The world is full of curious people; curiosity is said, indeed, to be the prime cause of study and therefore of knowledge itself. Margaret assuredly did not distrust Mrs. Rushmore, and she did not fear Potts, but her experience had given her the habit of reading her important letters alone in her own room, and sometimes with the do

terises such accounts in the English papers, and Logotheti's name appeared in Mr. Pinney's evidence. There had been the usual 'laughter,' duly noted by the stenographer, when the poor girl's smart man's clothes were produced before the magistrate by the pol

finger. Further, it had been stolen by the very girl from whom Logotheti had pretended that he had bought it, a fact which cast the high light of absurdity on his unlikely story! It was natural enough that she should have seen it, and should have known that he was taking it to Pinney's, and that she should have been able to prepare a little screw of paper with a bit of glass inside, to substitute for it. The improbabilities of such an explanati

, which took so long that Mrs. Rushmore sent Justine to tell Potts to ask if M

ut it seems to be a part of the life. Margaret was very angry, and Potts became as meek and mild as a little lamb when she saw the storm signals in

ight in her eyes and instead of flushing, as her cheeks did for any ordinary fit of temper, they were as white as wax. Potts, who was a small woman, seemed

our,' she said. 'I'm very angry, Potts, and

w like a feather, that on another occasion she had severely beaten a coachman, and that she had thrown two wretched lap-dogs into a raging fire in a stove and fastened the door, because they had barked while she was studying a new part. As a matter of fact, she loved animals to weakness, and was kindness itself to her servants, and she was generally justified in her anger, though it sometimes

f medical treatment had been at the hands of a very famous specialist for the throat, in New York, to whom she went because all her fellow-artists did, and whose mere existence is said by grateful singers to effectually counteract the effects of the bad climate during the

ips were drawn and parched, and when she caught sight of herself in the look

ible English girl, althou

ith emphasis. 'I won't be so silly!' An

ay dialects to Icelandic. Besides, it did not matter! She would have been angry if Logotheti had made love to the Duchess of Barchester, or to Lady Dick Savory, the smartest woman in London, or to Mrs. Smythe-Hockaday, the handsomest woman in England; she would hav

hook together. On that evening he had refused to stay to dinner; no doubt he had gone back to his house in Paris, and had dined with the girl-in the hall of the Aphrodite! It was not to be believed, and after that memorable moment under the elm-tree, too, when the sun w

ying to a credulous young woman who had let herself fall in love! But for her friend Lady Maud she would still be their victim. Her heart went out to the woman who had saved her from her fate, and with the tho

e could hardly hold the pen ste

n me here will gladly wait for yo

e mirror she saw that her face had changed again and that her natural colour was

her that the worst was past. She raised her head, threw back her shoulders and s

er, 'I've been in a rage, but I'm only angr

still a bit pale, ma'am, and your eye is a trifle wild, I may sa

h a thing, have I?

or maid, and moved towards a perfectly ne

e said. 'You wore one when we crossed th

ou're a t

to one of the curious secret pockets of the hat-box. 'That is, ma'am,'

d to fasten a broad-brimmed black straw hat on the thick brown hair; she then spread an immense white

Rushmore herself came to the door, knocked and

what in the world is the matt

ward to meet her, and finding her natural v

, with emphasis; 'and Potts looked quite grave wh

rised if she had burst out lau

ished at you! I know something has happened.

answered except by a flat contradiction; so Margaret said no

hmore continued severely. 'Except that,' she added, noticing

he had forgotten her caution, but she retrieved herself by pushing the thick letter into her long glove, much to Potts' dis

dy now,'

was monumental. The two went out in silence, opened their parasols, the one black, the other scarlet, and walked

was in that letter. You cannot deny it, Margaret. It

swered the Primado

of the slightest use to try to deceive m

rying to d

you answered, "Nothing." I do n

egin with,' explained

her faded eyes were brighter than before, and the beginning of a social smile wreathed her h

d unless I'm much mistaken-yes, I knew it! He's with Count Kralinsky. I saw the Co

erently, but surveying the two men th

ost whispering in her excitement. 'He has seen

to them than she would have given to a kitten scampering after a ball of string. The kitten

is companion, who was a head and shoulders taller than he, slackened his pace and stop

the American. 'I've met him before, a

tried to see her expression through her veil. She answ

d,' said the elder la

ue eyes, in one of which he wore a single eyeglass without a string. He was quietly dressed and wore no jewellery, excepting one ring, in which blazed a large 'tallow-topped' ruby. He had the unmistakable air of a man of the world, and was per

that she was enchanted to make his acquaintance,

glish perfectly,' ob

, leaving the foreigner to Mrs. R

she said. 'Will you joi

ave often heard of you from friends in Paris. Your little dinners at Versailles are famous al

. Rushmore's friends, but the Count seemed to know everybody, from all the Grand Dukes and Archdukes in Russia, Germany, and Austria, to the author of the latest successful play in Paris, and the man of science who

y both looked at Kralinsky's back, and then they once more looked at each other and nodded; which meant th

quite funny, if you don't mind droppi

owly till a dozen paces separ

' she asked

rican. 'I'm pretty sure of it, in spite of a good many years and a beard-two things that

n!' Margaret was surprised, but not dee

his was as likely a place as any to find him in, now that I know what it was he whistled. But I admi

onfidently. 'Nothing would hap

es tried in vain to

' he observed. 'Or else

argaret in a low voice. 'Did

l, n

bed him of rubies; and it was not the other way, as you supposed. Men

rstand you. There's a meaning in your voice that's not in the words. Ex

just been taken there by Monsieur Logotheti to be cut. The girl must have followed him without his knowing it, and watched her chance, though how old Pinney can have

s, she generally called him 'Logo,' as all his friends did. The American said nothing for a moment, but he

or he hardly expected her to understand the l

the Police Court report. I have it in my glove. Lady Maud sent it to me with a letter.' She added, after an instant's hesitation, 'I

if I told you that I asked her to he

ing slowly to look at him. 'S

that Margaret had in store for him. 'That's just like her straightforward way of doing things. She tol

peech seemed to be out

than lift a finger

did not understand the constant subtone of anger he hea

d. I've telegraphed to a

surprised now, and

f Mrs. Rushmore. She knows nothing about all this, but she saw me cramming the

e can see you if she turns around. She'll understand that I'm inside. If you drop your parasol towards her you can get the letters out, can't you? Then as I come out you can just pass them to me behind the parasol, an

ong! I'll cough

Rushmore went quietly on without turning her head, be

egun to walk again. 'That cannot attract attention, even if she does look round

Van Torp was making. He himself was astounded, and did not yet understand, but he had played the great game for fortune against adversaries of vast strength and skill, and had won by his qualities rather than his luck, and they did not desert him at the most important crisis of his lif

stance she could see every shade of his expression through the white veiling, though he could not see hers at all. He

ently while he read

you like. It's not mere inquisitiveness on my part.' As Margaret said nothing, though he waited

ept it some days. Then he asked me to let him

I gave you, I swear I don't know that it's not glass-anyhow,

r shape and size. Why do y

e around selling rubies, there may

here were?

tone about her a good deal like the one that was stolen, and that som

f the first experts in the wo

an Torp thoughtfull

he had stolen it from Monsieur Log

'I'm not her attorney. I'm not tryin

said, quite unable to keep her own couns

y so! Are you

rough the telephone, and I heard her speakin

Van Torp was beginning to be puzzl

nk he wasn't sure whether the

e American, but the tone in which she had sp

she might go he could not tell, but what she had just said, coupled with the way in which she spoke of the man to whom she was engaged as 'Monsieur L

enderfoot. I gave her that fellow's address in New York.' He nodded towards Kralinsky. 'When I found he was here, I wired Logotheti to tell her, since she's after him. I suppose I thought Logotheti would go righ

declared war on his rival, and meant fight according to the law of nations. Lady Maud would not be his friend if he were playing any double game, but she had stuck to him throughout his troubl

Margaret did not like the word, and threw up her head

rself out worse than y

ther your impression should improve than get worse. The o

est humorous intention, but Margaret laughed for the first time that day, in

d I won't disappoint you. Say I was doing something that wasn't exactly low-down, considering the object, but that mightn't pass muster at an honour-parade, anyhow. And then say that I've admitted the fact, if y

ight" and English "right"! You ask for a fai

aight,' Van

a fine speech. For though he often spoke a sort of picturesque dialect, and though he was very far from being highly educated, he could speak English well enough when he chose. It probably seemed to him that good grammar a

me, won't she?' he asked sud

, she will meet me in Paris, for sh

said you didn't mind,' observed Van Torp.

? Why shouldn

'll certainly stay if you don't object. We shall be quite a party,

ret. 'He's only just been introduced to us. I daresay Mrs. Rus

suppose that

ed her curiosity

ort of person to have about, you ought to tell us-indeed y

at once, and seemed to be

ything of that sort, have I? There were all kinds of men on that ranch, as there are on every other and in every mining camp in the West, and most of 'em have no particular names. They get called something when they turn up, and they're known as that while they stay, and if they die with their boots on, they get buried as that, and if not, they clear out when they've h

u called?' as

t the recollection of his nick

ret l

inappropri

gentle and confiding and sweet, you know. So they concluded to give me a girl's name as soon as the

is jaw and his flat, hard cheeks, and th

dy, Miss Fanny?' she ask

came over his

wice, in fair self-defence. If I ha

id quietly. 'I should not have a

ople one doesn't care to answer. But I'd rather have you know something about

Margaret answered. 'I daresay you did much

ve does. Perhaps you'll be the second that will, and that'll be a

pped in their walk and were waiting

Rushmore. 'Of course I could go on further, and it'

whereupon Mrs. Rushmore deliberately took

nne and the Count can go as fast as they like, for they are both good walker

ittle, as if he were acknowledging a co

ou were more used to rid

onunciation was perfect. 'I was in the cavalry before I began to travel. But I

by her side; and Van Torp, walking with Mrs. Rushmore, was quite certain that h