haunting passion for it. Yet in her penniless state she
would have parted with it for money; she gave herself
also to dreams of what in this direction it would do for
her. The sophistry of her so often saying to herself that
Arthur had after all definitely pronounced her welcome
to any gain from his gift that might accrue--this trick
remained innocent, as she perfectly knew it for what it
was. Then there was always the possibility of his--as she
could only picture it--rising to the occasion. Mightn't he
have a grand magnanimous moment?--mightn't he just
say "Oh I couldn't of course have afforded to let you
have it if I had known; but since you HAVE got it, and
have made out the truth by your own wit, I really can't
screw myself down to the shabbiness of taking it back"?
She had, as it proved, to wait a long time--to wait till, at
the end of several months, the great house of Bleet had,
with due deliberation, for the season, transferred itself
to town; after which, however, she fairly snatched at her
first freedom to knock, dressed in her best and armed
with her disclosure, at the door of her doubting kinsman.
It was still with doubt and not quite with the face she
had hoped that he listened to her story. He had turned
pale, she thought, as she produced the necklace, and he
appeared above all disagreeably affected. Well, perhaps
there was reason, she more than ever remembered; but
what on earth was one, in close touch with the fact, to
do? She had laid the pearls on his table, where, without
his having at first put so much as a finger to them, they
29
HYLAND
