gratification;
"but I fear you will be disappointed. I assure you I am no artist."

I smiled. I knew that well enough. But I made no reply to his remark--I
said, "Regarding the matter of the jewels for the Countess
Romani--would you care to see them?"

"I should indeed," he answered; "they are unique specimens, I think?"

"I believe so," I answered, and going to an escritoire in the corner of
the room, I unlocked it and took out a massive carved oaken jewel-chest
of square shape, which I had had made in Palermo. It contained a
necklace of large rubies and diamonds, with bracelets to match, and
pins of their hair--also a sapphire ring--a cross of fine
rose-brilliants, and the pearl pendant I had first found in the vault.
All the gems, with the exception of this pendant, had been reset by a
skillful jeweler in Palermo, who had acted under my
superintendence--and Ferrari uttered an exclamation of astonishment and
admiration as he lifted the glittering toys out one by one and noted
the size and brilliancy of the precious stones.

"They are trifles," I said, carelessly--"but they may please a woman's
taste--and they amount to a certain fixed value. You would do me a
great service if you consented to take them to the Contessa Romani for
me--tell her to accept them as heralds of my forthcoming visit. I am
sure you will know how to persuade her to take what would
unquestionably have been hers had her husband lived. They are really
her property--she must not refuse to receive what is her own."

Ferrari hesitated and looked at me earnestly.

"You--WILL visit her--she may rely on your coming for a certainty, I
hope?"

I smiled. "You seem very anxious about it. May I ask why?"

"I think," he replied at once, "that it would embarrass the countess
very much if you gave her no opportunity to thank you for so munificent
and splendid a gift--and unless she knew she could do so, I am certain
she would not accept it."

"Make yourself quite easy," I answered. "She shall thank me to her
heart's content. I give you my word that within a few days I will call
upon the lady--in fact you said you would introduce me--I accept your
offer!"

He seemed delighted, and seizing my hand, shook it cordially.

"Then in that case I will gladly take the jewels to her," he exclaimed.
"And I may say, count, that had you searched the whole world over, you
could not have found one whose beauty was more fitted to show them off
to advantage. I assu