“Why not?”
“Because people noticed it too much, and—and, Mr. Rayner, it is really too handsome for me.”
“Nonsense! Nothing is too handsome for you, child; haven’t your new admirers told you that?”
I laughed and blushed.
“But, Mr. Rayner,” I went on gravely and rather timidly, “then such a strange thing happened that I must tell you about it. I put my pendant into my desk—at least, I am almost sure I did—on Saturday night, and next day it was gone.”
“Well, we must find you another.”
“Oh, no! But this is the strangest part. Just before I left this morning, Mr. Carruthers’s servant put it into my hand, saying he had picked it up on the stairs. And the little shield with the initials was broken off and lost. Isn’t it strange?”
“Well, not considering that they were paste. If they had been diamonds, I should say it was very strange that he gave it back again. You careless little puss, you don’t deserve to have any finery at all! What will you do when you have real jewels, if you are not more careful with mock ones?”
“Oh, Mr. Rayner, I hope I never shall!”
“Do you mean that?”