"Will you promise not to wear it, Augusta?"
"Of course. Is it likely that I should wish to wear it on my bare breast after it has been rubbing against your soiled armour?"
Without another word I unhooked the necklace and handed it to her. She ran to a little distance, and, with one of those swift movements that were common to her, fastened it about her own neck. Then she returned, and threw the great strings of pearls, which she had removed to make place for it, over my head.
"Now have you found the woman of that dream, Olaf?" she asked, turning herself about in the moonlight.
I shook my head and answered: "Nay, Augusta; but I fear that you have found misfortune. When it comes, I pray you to remember that you promised not to wear the necklace. Also that your soldier, Olaf, Thorvald's son, would have given his life rather than that you should have done so, not for the sake of any dream, but for your sake, Augusta, whom it is his business to protect."
"Would, then, it were your business either to protect me a little more, or a little less!" she exclaimed bitterly.
Having uttered this dark saying, she vanished from the terrace still wearing the string of golden shells.
On the following morning the necklace was returned to me by Irene's favourite lady, who smiled as she gave it to me. She was a dark-eyed, witty, and able girl named Martina, who had been my friend for a long while.
"The Augusta said that you were to examine this jewel to see that it has not been changed."
"I never suggested that the Augusta was a thief," I replied, "therefore it is unnecessary."
"She said also that I was to tell you, in case you should think that it has been befouled by her wearing of it, that she has had it carefully cleaned."
"That is thoughtful of her, Martina, for it needed washing. Now, will you take the Augusta's pearls, which she left with me in error?"
"I have no orders to take any pearls, Captain Olaf, although I did notice that two of the finest strings in the Empire are missing. Oh! you great northern child," she added in a whisper, "keep the pearls, they are a gift, and worth a prince's ransom; and take whatever else you can get, and keep that too."[*] [*] I have no further vision concerning these priceless pearls and do not know what became of them. Perhaps I was robbed of them during my imprisonment, or perhaps I gave them to Heliodore or to Martina. Where are they now, I wonder?--Editor.