were
fixed straight before her with a soft light in their depths which made
her positively beautiful.

The jewel is in the pot, I inwardly decided, and ordered the two waiting
stablemen to step forward with their ladles. Quickly those ladles went
in, but before they could be lifted out dripping, half the ladies had
scurried back, afraid of injury to their pretty dresses. But they soon
sidled forward again, and watched with beaming eyes the slow but sure
emptying of the great caldron at whose bottom they anticipated finding
the lost jewel.

As the ladles were plunged deeper and deeper, the heads drew closer and
so great was the interest shown, that the busiest lips forgot to
chatter, and eyes, whose only business up till now had been to follow
with shy curiosity every motion made by their handsome young host, now
settled on the murky depths of the great pot whose bottom was almost in
sight.

As I heard the ladles strike this bottom, I instinctively withdrew a
step in anticipation of the loud hurrah which would naturally hail the
first sight of the lost ruby. Conceive, then, my chagrin, my bitter and
mortified disappointment, when, after one look at the broad surface of
the now exposed bottom, the one shout which rose was:

"_Nothing!_"

* * * * *

I was so thoroughly put out that I did not wait to hear the loud
complaints which burst from every lip. Drawing Mr. Ashley aside (who,
by the way, seemed as much affected as myself by the turn affairs had
taken) I remarked to him that there was only one course left open to us.

"And what is that?"

"To ask Miss Glover to show me what she picked up from your driveway."

"And if she refuses?"

"To take her quietly with me to the station, where we have women who can
make sure that the ruby is not on her person."

Mr. Ashley made an involuntary gesture of strong repugnance.

"Let us pray that it will not come to that," he objected hoarsely. "Such
a fine figure of a girl! Did you notice how bright and happy she looked
when the lights sprang up? I declare she struck me as lovely."

"So she did me, and caused me to draw some erroneous conclusions. I
shall have to ask you to procure me an interview with her as soon as we
return to the house."

"She shall meet you in the library."

But when, a few minutes later, she joined me in the room just designated
and I had full opportunity for reading her countenance, I own that my
task became suddenly