"Upon my word! I must say you are very modest in your request! What the deuce do you want with it?"
"I know that I am asking a good deal, sir; but I want it as a site for an orphan asylum. Will you give it to me?"
"No! I'll be hanged if I do! Are you going entirely deranged? What business have you with asylums, I should like to know? Put all of that ridiculous stuff out of your head. Here is something for which I sent to Europe. Eric selected it in Paris, and it arrived yesterday. Wear it to-night."
He drew a velvet case from his pocket and laid it before her. Touching the spring, the lid flew open, and on the blue satin lining lay the blazing coils of a magnificent diamond necklace and bracelets.
"How beautiful! how splendidly beautiful!"
She bent over the flashing mass in silent admiration for some time, examining the delicate setting, then looked up at her father.
"What did they cost?"
"Why do you want to know that?"
"I am pardonably curious on the subject."
"Well, then, I was silly enough to give seven thousand dollars for them."