If she had not seen this, Annesley would have exclaimed against the word
"obvious" for the splendid brilliant as big as a small pea which Knight
put aside so carelessly. But the contrast between the modern ring with
its "solitaire" diamond and the wonderful rival he gave it silenced her.
She was no judge of jewellery, and had never possessed any worth having;
but she knew that this second ring was a rare as well as a beautiful
antique. It looked worthy, she thought, of a real princess.

Even the gold was different from other gold, the little that was visible,
for the square-cut stone, of pale, scintillating blue, was surrounded by
a frame of tiny brilliants encrusting the rim as far as could be seen on
the back of the hand when the ring was worn.

"A sapphire!" Annesley exclaimed. "My favourite stone. Yet I never saw a
sapphire like it before. It's wonderful--brighter than a diamond."

"It is a diamond," said Knight. "A blue diamond, and considered
remarkable. It's what your friend Ruthven Smith would call a 'museum
piece,' if you showed it to him. But you mustn't. He'd move heaven and
earth to get it! Nobody must see it but you and me. It wouldn't be safe.
It's too valuable. And if you were known to have it, you'd be in danger
from all the jewel thieves in Europe and America. You wouldn't like
that."

"No, it would be horrible!" Annesley shuddered. "But what a pity it must
be hidden. Is it yours?"

"It's yours at present," said Knight, "if you'll keep it to yourself, and
look at it only when you and I are alone together. I can't give it to