"Yes," he said smiling. "You shall wear the ruby. But you must expect me

to keep very close to you--"

"The closer the better." She smiled charmingly. "Have you tried on

your costume?"

"I haven't even looked at it. Who am I?"

"Caesar Borgia. You are not much like him yourself, darling, but I

thought he was not so very unlike modern American business, as a whole."

Ruyler laughed. "Why not Machiavelli? But as no doubt it is black velvet,

much puffed and slashed, I may hope it will be becoming to my nondescript

fairness. You must promise not to wander off for long walks with any of

your admirers. Not that I fear the admirers, but the thieves that are

bound to get into that crowd one way or another. They have a way of

unclasping necklaces even of the most circumspect wives in the company of

not too absorbing men."

Her eyes opened and flashed, but he had no time to analyze that fleeting

expression before she was promising volubly not to wander from the

illuminated spaces.

* * * * *

He interrupted her suddenly. They were in the library now, and sat down

on a little sofa in front of the window. The moon was high and brilliant

and the great expanse of water with the high clusters of lights on the

islands, the sharp hard silhouette of the encircling mountains, the green

and silver stars so high above, the moving golden dots of an incoming

liner from Japan, the long rows of arc lights along the shore, made a

landscape of the night that Mrs. Thornton with all her millions hardly

could rival.

"Are you not grateful for this?" he asked whimsically and a little

wistfully.

"Oh, Price, dear, I am more grateful than you will ever know. I have not

a fault on earth to find with you. You would be the prince of the fairy

tale if you were not so busy.

"But that is the tragedy. You are busy--I am not."

"Well, let us have the personal solution--one that fits ourselves. You

have time to think it out. I, alas! have not." He took her hand and

fondled it, hoping for her confidence.

"I don't know." She had a deep rich voice and she could make it very

intense. "I only know there must--must--be a change--if--if--I am

to--Can't you take me abroad for a year? That might not be work, but at

least I should be learning some thing--I have traveled almost not at

all--and, at least, I should have you."




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