w, as she realized the value of the gem which Mrs. Ricketts so
unceremoniously thrust under her nose.

"A diamond! Good gracious! How did you come by it? A most valuable
diamond of extraordinary size. Give it to me this moment, my good dear
creature! and come into the drawing-room. You can step in by this open
window. We won't be disturbed in here. I suppose you were weeping in
that loud and violent manner at the thought of the grief of the person
who had lost this treasure?"

"No, ma'am, I were a sobbing at the grief of her what _'ad_ it. Oh, my
word! And the young lady said for sure as I'd get nine-and-fourpence
halfpenny for it. No, ma'am, I won't go into the 'ouse, thank you. Oh,
dear! oh, dear! the young lady did set store by it, and said for certain
I'd get my nine-and-fourpence halfpenny back, but when I took the stone
to the shop to-day, and asked the baker to give me some bread and let
this go partly to pay the account, he stared at me and said as I wasn't
honest, and he thrust it back in my hand. Oh, dearie me! oh, dearie me!
the foreign young lady shouldn't have done it!"

"_I_ am very sure that you're honest, my good creature! Now, do tell me
about this stone. How did you come by it?"

"It was the young lady, ma'am; the young lady from Australia."

"Daisy Rymple, do you mean?"

"Miss Flower she called herself, ma'am. She come to me in sore plight
late one evening, when we was all in bed, and 'Mrs. Ricketts,' said she,
dear lamb, 'will you help me to go away to Mrs. Cameron, to Bath? I want
the money to go third class to Bath. Can you let me have nine shillings
and fourpence halfpenny, Mrs. Ricketts? and I'll give you this for the
money!' and she flashed that bit of a glittering stone right up into my
eyes. My word, I thought as I was blinded by it. 'You'll get most like
two pounds for it, Mrs. Ricketts,' she said, 'for my father told me it
was worth a sight of money.' That's how I come by it, ma'am, and that's
the way I was treated about it to-day."

Mrs. Cameron slowly drew out her purse.

"I will give you two sovereigns for the stone!" she said. "There, take
them and go home, and say nothing about the money. It will be the worse
for you if you do; now go quickly home."

Mrs. Ricketts' broad face was one glow of delight. She dropped another
courtesy, and tried to articulate some words of thanks, but Mrs. Cameron
had already disappeared into the drawing-room, where she now sat,
holding the diamond