and there in its place lay the great ruby, red as blood. And Robert
would have spoken, but the words died upon his tongue, and he saw the
shadow of the end.

Then Paul took the ruby and laid it on his dish; and as he raised the
phial to pour, he looked at Robert, and said "But perhaps it is shame
to treat so great a gem so discourteously?" And the Duke being old and
curious said, "Nay, but pour." But then, as Paul raised the phial, the
Duke lifted his hand, and said very pleasantly, "Yet after all, I hold
not the jewel my own, but the Lord Robert's, who hath so faithfully
restored it to me. What will you, my lord?" he said, turning with a
smile to Robert. And Robert, looking and smiling very stonily, said,
in a voice that he could scarcely command, "Pour, sir, pour!" So Paul
poured the liquor.

The great ruby flashed for a moment, and then a thin white steam
floated up, while the gem rose in a blood-stained foam, hissing and
bubbling. Then there was a silence; and then Robert put his hand to
his heart and stood still; the Duke looked at him, and Paul said in
his ear, "Now, Lord Robert, play the man!--I knew the secret."

Then Robert rising from his place said that he would ask the Duke's
leave to speak to him in private on this matter, and the Duke, coldly
but courteously, led the way into an inner room, and there Robert told
him all the story. Perhaps a younger man might have been more ready to
forgive; but the Duke was old; and when Robert had done the story, he
sate looking so aged and broken, that a kind of pity came into
Robert's mind, and crushed the pity he felt for himself. But at last
the Duke spoke. "You have deceived me," he said, "and I do not know
that I can even think that your story is true; you can serve me no
longer, for you have done unworthily." And with that he tore the
parchment across, and dropped it on the ground, and then made a
gesture of dismissal; and Robert rose, hoping that the Duke would yet
relent, and said at last, "May I hope that your Grace can say that you
forgive me? I do not ask to be restored--but in all other things I
have served you well." "No, my Lord Robert," said the Duke at last
coldly and severely, "I cannot forgive; for I have trusted one who has
deceived me."

So Robert went slowly out of the room through the hall; and no man
spoke to him and he spoke to none. Only Paul came to join him, and
looked at him awhile, and then said, "Lord Robert, I have been the
means of