, one with my father, and I have the third."

I looked at the ring carefully, but could see nothing remarkable about
it. The stone was an opal, set in a heavy gold band, peculiarly chased;
but, aside from the popular superstition with regard to opals, there was
nothing which would lead me to suppose that it possessed any exceptional
powers.

"When I saw you last," continued the Captain, "I meant to have asked you
to have this ring buried with me, in case I died; but I was afraid you
would consider the request too foolish. I wished it buried with me
because I did not wish Annie to have it."

"But why do you think Annie would take it?" I asked.

"Because I know she wants it," replied Captain Sumner. "She thinks that
it would enable her to make Pattmore love her always, and so she wishes
to own it. Now, I think Pattmore is a villain, and I wish to separate
her from him and destroy his influence over her. Therefore I do not wish
her to get the ring, since its possession will induce her to continue
her connection with that man."

I confess that I did not know what to make of the Captain. If he was
insane, he certainly had the most impenetrable mask over his insanity
that I had ever seen. His eyes were so bright, clear and honest, that
the most experienced physiognomist in the world would have failed to
observe the slightest trace of cunning, or want of a balanced mind in
their expression. During the progress of his story he had continually
held his ring where he could see it, and several times had raised it to
the light, in a contemplative sort of way, as if he drew some
satisfaction from its appearance. He bowed his head in his hands as he
ceased speaking, and some moments elapsed before he looked up, though
when he did so he was perfectly calm.

"Captain, did you find the ring of any practical value at sea?" I asked.

"Yes; often it has apprised me of a coming storm in time to prepare for
it. I have thus passed in safety through many sudden gales of the
approach of which I have been warned only just in time to save my ship.
My men always had perfect confidence in my ability to weather the
heaviest gale."

"Well, Captain, if you should give that ring to me, would it be equally
prophetic in my hands?" I asked.

"But I will not give it to you nor any one else; nor will I part with
it, even in death if I can help it," replied the Captain. "The Sepoy
told my father, that he must never allow the rings to go out of his