adily refused to reduce his
price, and once again Mrs Moffatt retired discomfited from the
struggle.

"I know just how it will be," she cried, "I'll have to give it up, and
then you'll step in, and carry it off before my eyes! But you've got to
wait a bit, till I see what I can do with Silas. I'm not going to give
up yet awhile."

Cornelia laughed easily. "Oh, I'll play fair. If you give up the idea,
I daresay Poppar'd let me have it. He says emeralds suit me better than
any other stones; but I shan't break my heart, one way or the other."
... Then addressing the shopman: "Have you got anything really new and
tasty for little presents? I might as well look round while I'm here."

Then followed a delightful hour, from the shopkeeper's point of view, at
least, when Cornelia examined the contents of tray after tray, and
selected "little presents" to the value of a cool hundred pounds: an old
pearl and enamel solitaire stud for her father; a hat-pin composed of a
big turquoise, and a selection of dainty, jewelled brooches and bangles
for special girl friends.

"I'll give you the addresses, and you'd better mail them from here. I
don't know how you fix up things to travel safely from this side, but
you can do all that's necessary. I'll give you a cheque and you needn't
send them out till you see that it's all right. I'm a stranger to you,
and can't expect you to trust me right away, but you'll find the money's
there!"

"Well, I should think your name's good enough! No one need fear
trusting your father's daughter for a few hundred dollars!" Mrs
Moffatt protested, while the shopman waxed eloquent in protestation.
Cornelia continued to write addresses on the various boxes, without
troubling to answer, for the assiduous manner in which her friend
advertised her parentage was already beginning to jar. First to the
hotel officials; then to casual acquaintances during the evening, and
now to this tradesman! It was a disagreeable change from Norton, where
the subject of money was never mentioned, and no one seemed to care
whether you were rich or poor.

The whole morning was devoted to shopping; in the afternoon the two
ladies went out driving, and returned to the hotel, to find Captain
Guest's card on the sitting-room table.

"He has lost no time, anyhow!" said Mrs Moffatt, meaningly.

"He has done the polite thing. Now he need not trouble any more,"
Cornelia replied. On the whole, she was not sorry to ha