anxious,
restless, and unsettled; and though she followed in the wake of the
rest, it was with hidden face and lagging step, as if she recognised
the whole thing as a farce, and doubted her own power to go through it
calmly.

"Ah, ha! my lady," thought I, "only be patient and you will see what I
shall do for you." And, indeed, I thought her eye brightened as we all
drew up around the huge caldron standing full of water over the stable
stove. As pains had already been taken to put out the fire in this
stove, the ladies were not afraid of injuring their dresses, and
consequently crowded as close as their numbers would permit. Miss Glover
especially stood within reach of the brim, and as soon as I noted this,
I gave the signal which had been agreed upon between Mr. Ashley and
myself. Instantly the electric lights went out, leaving the place in
total darkness.

A scream from the girls, a burst of hilarious laughter from their
escorts, mingled with loud apologies from their seemingly mischievous
host, filled up the interval of darkness which I had insisted should not
be too soon curtailed; then the lights flared up as suddenly as they had
gone out, and while the glare was fresh on every face, I stole a glance
at Miss Glover to see if she had made good use of the opportunity given
her for ridding herself of the jewel by dropping it into the caldron. If
she had, both her troubles and mine were at an end; if she had not, then
I need feel no further scruple in approaching her with the direct
question I had hitherto found it so difficult to put.

She stood with both hands grasping her cloak, which she had drawn
tightly about the rich folds of her new and expensive dress; but her
eyes were fixed straight before her, with a soft light in their depths
which made her positively beautiful.

The jewel is in the pot, I inwardly decided, and ordered the two waiting
stablemen to step forward with their ladles. Quickly those ladles went
in, but before they could be lifted out dripping, half the ladies had
scurried back, afraid of injury to their pretty dresses. But they soon
sidled forward again, and watched with beaming eyes the slow but sure
emptying of the great caldron at whose bottom they anticipated finding
the lost jewel.

As the ladles were plunged deeper and deeper, the heads drew closer, and
so great was the interest shown that the busiest lips forgot to chatter,
and eyes whose only business up till now had been to follow