"It is my proud privilege," he said, "to present to Miss Ratcliffe in the Rajah's name his very handsome gift."
He took the golden key from the top of the casket and handed it with a bow to Olga.
She took it with a murmur of thanks, and stood hesitating, possessed by a very curious feeling of dread.
"Open it!" said Noel impatiently.
"Open it for her!" said Sir Reginald, divining a certain amount of nervousness as the cause of her hesitation.
Noel held out a hand for the key, and she gave it to him. There was a sudden hush and a little thrill of expectation in the motley crowd gathered round as he turned to fit it into the lock.
The key did not fit in very easily; it seemed to meet with some obstruction. With a frown Noel pulled it out again. "What's the matter with the thing?" he said irritably.
"Try it the other way up!" suggested Sir Reginald.
"I believe it's a hoax," said a man in the crowd.
Noel turned the key upside down amid an interested silence, and began to insert it again in the lock.