"No, my love," she said then, in a soothing voice, "you are dreaming—you are not well and have had a bad dream. Go to sleep, my sweet darling, go to sleep."
"But I am not dreaming," said Lady Violet—"the Ponsonby diamonds are in my dressing-case. I remember putting them there quite well—I had forgotten, but I remember now quite well. Dr. Halifax, won't you fetch them?"
"Certainly," I replied. "Lady Erstfield, will you direct me to Lady Violet's jewel-case?"
"Yes," replied Lady Erstfield.
The poor woman staggered rather than walked across the room. She gave me the key of the jewel-case. I opened it and lifted out the several compartments until I came to the bottom drawer. There lay an old-fashioned morocco case. I opened it, and the Ponsonby jewels in all their magnificence lay before me.
"My God, what does this mean?" gasped Lady Erstfield.
"Hush," I said, "don't say anything—take them to her."
"You must do it, I cannot," she moaned.
I took the case up to the bedside. Lady Violet gave a little cry of rapture when she saw it. In a twinkling, she had lifted the necklace from its bed of ruby velvet and had clasped it round her white throat.
"Oh, my beautiful, sparkling treasures!" she exclaimed; "how I love you—how you comfort me!"