"Allah!" whispered the man, "that I should mark thee thus--and yet, in
love--in love!"

He took the ring, of which the dull-gold setting held an emerald in the
form of a scarab with heartshaped base.

The fortune-teller turned it over in the palm of his hand, then held it
out.

"Nay, this I cannot take. I thought it was a ring from the bazaar to
go with thy dress of fantasy. Behold, it is an amulet of the heart,
of--nay, I cannot tell thus quickly of what dynasty--with words of
power engraved upon it which read thus:

"'_My heart, my mother; my heart, my mother. My heart whereby I came
into being_.'"

The girl listened entranced, touching the ring with finger-tips which
felt as snow-flakes upon the man's hand.

"What is an amulet of the heart?"

"In the days of Ancient Egypt, when the heart had been taken from the
dead body for purposes of preservation, an amulet, a scarab, sometimes
heart-shaped, was placed within the body to ensure it life and movement
in the new life."

They both stood looking down upon the jewel, the girl's finger-tips
resting upon the man's hand.