er Priscilla and Cathie and Belle had gone to bed, Dick
and his mother sat up talking until a late hour.

'Is dear little cousin Priscilla to be a permanency in this
establishment?' began her cousin, stifling a yawn, for there had been a
rather copious flow of precious stones during the evening.

'Well, I shall keep her with us as long as I can,' said Mrs. Hoyle,
'she's such a darling, and they don't seem to want her at home. I'm
sure, limited as my means are, I'm most happy to have such a visitor.'

'She seems to pay her way--only her way is a trifle trying at times,
isn't it? She lectured me for half an hour on end without a single
check!'

'Are you sure you picked them all up, dear boy?'

'Got a few of the best in my waistcoat-pocket now. I'm afraid I
scrunched a pearl or two, though: they were all over the place, you
know. I suppose you've been collecting too, mater?'

'I picked up one or two,' said his mother; 'I should think I must have
nearly enough now to fill a bandbox. And that brings me to what I wanted
to consult you about, Richard. How are we to dispose of them? She has
given them all to me.'

'You haven't done anything with them yet, then?'

'How could I? I have been obliged to stay at home: I've been so afraid
of letting that precious child go out of my sight for a single hour,
for fear some unscrupulous persons might get hold of her. I thought that
perhaps, when you came home, you would dispose of the jewels for me.'

'But, mater,' protested Dick, 'I can't go about asking who'll buy a
whole bandbox full of jewels!'

'Oh, very well, then; I suppose we must go on living this hugger-mugger
life when we have the means of being as rich as princes, just because
you are too lazy and selfish to take a little trouble!'

'I know something about these things,' said Dick. 'I know a fellow who's
a diamond merchant, and it's not so easy to sell a lot of valuable
stones as you seem to imagine, mother. And then Priscilla really
overdoes it, you know--why, if she goes on like this, she'll make
diamonds as cheap as currants!'

'_I_ should have thought that was a reason for selling them as soon as
possible; but I'm only a woman, and of course _my_ opinion is worth
nothing! Still, you might take some of the biggest to your friend, and
accept whatever he'll give you for them--there are plenty more, you
needn't haggle over the price.'

'He'd want to know all about them, and what should I say? I can't tell
him