cut the cords with his pen-knife, the wrappings fell
off, disclosing a jewel case of white satin richly wrought in gold. At
the quick touch of her fingers the lid of the case flew up, revealing a
long string of large pearls,--great frozen drops of the rainbow, wrapped
in silvery white mist,--treasures that a queen might have coveted.

The girl did not know how wonderful the pearls were and had not the
faintest conception of their value. But she saw their beauty and felt
their charm, for a beautiful woman loves and longs for the jewels that
belong to her beauty, as naturally as the rose loves and longs to gather
and keep the dewdrops in its heart.

"Oh! Oh!" was all that she could say, and she could think of nothing to
do, except stand on tiptoe and touch Philip Alston's cheek with a
butterfly kiss. And then when he had put the string of pearls around her
neck, so that it swung far down over her rounded young bosom, she danced
across the room to the largest mirror. But the corner in which it hung
was always full of shadows and so dark on this gloomy day that she could
not see, and with pretty imperiousness she called for candles to be
lighted and brought to her. William Pressley mechanically got up to
obey, but Philip Alston moved more quickly. Going to the hearth he took
two candles from the mantelpiece, lit them at the fire, and carried them
to her. He expected to have the pleasure of holding them so that she
might see the lovely vision, which he was already looking upon. But she
took them from his hands and raising them high above her head, danced
back to the mirror, and stood gazing at her own image, as artlessly as a
lily bends over its shadow in a crystal pool. And as she thus gazed in
the mirror, it suddenly reflected something which moved her more than
her own likeness. It showed her the opening of the front door, and gave
her a glimpse of her lover standing in the room. She whirled round,
blushing, and with her eyes shining like stars, and cried out:--"See,
Paul! See--was there ever anything so lovely?"

She went swiftly toward him, holding the candles still higher, so that
the pearls caught a rosy lustre from the light that fell on her radiant
face. She was laughing with pure delight at the sight of him, forgetting
the pearls. She did not know that she had called him by his Christian
name but she would have called him so, had she taken time to think. She
had called him so ever since they had known that they l