t antiquities, Mr. Davison. I'm
sure I never suspected you of a forgery, and if I had, I hope I
shouldn't have been rude enough to tell you so."

Maxwell Davison laughed his harsh laugh.

"Do you want me to believe you can't be rude, Mrs. Stewart?"

"I'm almost afraid she can't be," interposed Lady Thomson's full voice.
"People who make a superstition of politeness infallibly lose the higher
courtesy of truth."

Here Sir Cyril Meres called Davison away to worship at the shrine of the
Aphrodite, while Goring invited Mrs. Stewart into a neighboring corridor
where some tapestries were hanging.

The divining crystal was among the objects returned from Oxford, and had
been included in the collection which Davison had brought with him, on
the chance that the painter might fancy such curiosities. When Goring
and Mildred returned from their leisurely inspection of the tapestries,
Miss Ormond had it in her hand, and Lady Thomson was commenting on some
remark of hers.

"I've no doubt, as you say, it has played a wicked part before now in
Oriental intrigues. But of course the poor crystal is perfectly innocent
of the things read into it by rascals, practising on the ignorant and
superstitious."

"Sometimes, perhaps, Lady Thomson," returned Miss Ormond; "but sometimes
people do see extraordinary visions in a crystal."

Lady Thomson sniffed.

"Excitable, imaginative people do, I dare say."

"On the contrary, prosaic people are far more likely to see things than
highly strung imaginative creatures like myself. I've tried several
times and have never seen anything. I believe having a great deal of
brain-power and emotion and all that tells against it. I shouldn't be at
all surprised now if Mrs. Stewart, who is--well, I should fancy, just a
little cold, very bright and all that on the surface, you know--I
shouldn't wonder if she could crystal-gaze very successfully. I should
like to know whether she's ever tried."

"I'm sure she's not," replied Lady Thomson, firmly. "My niece, Mrs.
Stewart, is a great deal too sensible and well-educated."

"Mrs. Stewart can't honestly say the same for herself," interposed
Davison; "she gazed in this very crystal some years ago and certainly
saw something in it."

Miss Ormond exclaimed in triumph. Mildred froze. She did not desire the
role of Society Seer.

"What did I see, Mr. Davison?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing of importance. You saw a woman in a light dress