continent's premier jeweller, that he was able to buy such gifts. Of the
twenty millions of families in America, nineteen million would have
regarded their cost as a large fortune upon whose income they could live
at ease while life lasted. But Hamilton Burton had been even prouder
that on his sister's throat their beauty would after all be the
secondary beauty, and with the eye of the connoisseur he had rejected
several of the graduated gems and demanded that in their place more
perfect ones be substituted. Agents of the great house, skilled in the
nuances of selection, had sought far to better them until the result was
satisfactory to the exacting taste of the purchaser.

Hamilton Burton was spoken of as a woman-hater. Society saw him rarely.
Power was his mistress and success his passion. His egotism, centering
on no deep love of his own and too fastidious for mere "affairs," left
him opportunity for an exaggerated family pride.

Now he halted with his fingers on the combination knob of the safe and
straightened up. The sun fell upon a face very attractive and winning,
and a figure very strong and graceful, but at the same moment the
features hardened and the eyes wore their fighting glint.

"Mary," he said very slowly, "I thought that you understood. I thought
from the way you spoke in there that you realized it was you who had
acted like a very lovely and a very selfish little pig."

"Did you suppose then," she queried as her chin went a shade higher and
the long lashes dropped a little over the vivid eyes, "that I should
make a scene before your servants?"

"If you include Mr. Bristoll in that category, I must ask you to correct