She looked at him from under her eyelids.
"I have just learned its value."
"Remarkable—a splendid stone. It has had quite a history," he said, handing it back to her and watching it return to her finger. "Let's hope it will stay there quietly for some time."
"You know its story?"
"From the beginning. It will interest you. I'll send it to you."
"Do."
The last replies she had given were mechanical, her whole mind focused on him, alert for any sudden turn to her advantage, seeking to penetrate the tactics he would employ.
"You kept away—on purpose," she said abruptly.
"That's so."
"Why?"