Mona | Page 5

about his person than
anywhere else, and so did not remove them from his pocket.
The next morning he was early in his place at breakfast-time and
anxiously awaiting the appearance of Mrs. Bently.
She soon came in, looking much brighter and fresher than she had been
the day before, and he noticed that she was in her traveling-dress.
Could she be contemplating leaving the hotel? he asked himself, with a
sudden sense of depression.
She smiled and bowed as she passed him, and he remarked, in a low
tone, as he returned her salutation:
"I will wait for you in the reception-room."
She nodded assent, but a gleam of amusement shot into her expressive
eyes, which he interpreted to mean that she believed he had failed in his
errand and would be obliged to acknowledge the truth of what she had
told him about her ornaments.
This thought greatly elated him, and he chuckled to himself as he
imagined her astonishment when he should inform her of the offer of
the diamond merchant.
He soon finished his breakfast and repaired to the reception-room,
where he drew forth his morning paper to while away the time until
Mrs. Bently should appear.

But she did not hurry, and he began to grow impatient. Evidently she
had no faith in the genuineness of the stones, and had no intention of
spoiling her breakfast just to be told what she already knew.
It was nearly half an hour before she came to him, but he could forgive
her for making him wait, for her greeting was unusually cordial, and
she seemed lovelier than ever in her pretty dress of dark gray trimmed
with black. It was made very high at the throat, and fitted her perfect
form like a glove. Her face was like a flawless pearl, and he had begun
to think the soft ruddy rings that crowned her milk-white brow and
made her look so youthful, the most beautiful hair in the world.
He sprang to his feet, his face all aglow, and went forward to take the
hand she extended to him.
"I have such good news for you, Mrs. Bently," he said, as he drew the
little box from his pocket. "Your gems are real after all," and he slipped
them into her hand as he spoke.
She lifted a startled, incredulous look to his face.
"You cannot mean it--you are only jesting!" she cried.
"Indeed no; I would not jest and I do mean just what I have said," he
persisted.
"Impossible! Why, Mr. Cutler, I gave less than ten dollars for the
crescents."
The young man looked blank.
"Then some one has made an expensive blunder, and set real diamonds
for you instead of paste. Where did you purchase them--or order them
made?"
"Of Hardowin & Leroux, under the Palais Royal, Paris, less than a year
ago," Mrs. Bently promptly responded.
"It does not seem possible that any one could have made such a costly

mistake," Justin Cutler said, looking perplexed. "It is almost
incredible."
"Yes, and I am just as astonished by your report," his companion said,
lifting the cover of the box and gazing upon the blazing stones. "They
do look wonderfully real," she added, "and yet I can hardly believe, Mr.
Cutler, that any one would be willing to purchase them and give me the
value of diamonds."
"But the gentleman to whom I submitted them--a jeweler and an
expert--made me an offer for them," and he named the sum.
"So much?" murmured the fair woman, flushing. "Ah, it would be such
a help."
"This offer," Mr. Cutler resumed, "is to remain open to you for three
days, and you can take them to him within that time if you see fit, and
Mr. Arnold will give you the money."
Mrs. Bently made a sudden gesture of repulsion, her head drooped, a
flush swept up to her brow, and tears rushed to her eyes.
"Poor little woman!" said Justin Cutler to himself, "it humiliates her to
think of selling her jewels--of course it must."
Then he asked, after a moment of thought:
"Would you accept the amount that Mr. Arnold offered?"
"Why, yes, if--if you are sure that they are real, and think it would be
right for me to do so," she answered, with a somewhat troubled
expression on her fair face.
"Of course it will be perfectly right; the man knew what he was talking
about, for, as I told you, he is a diamond expert, and he examined them
with the utmost care."
"The amount would be very acceptable," said the fair widow, musingly,
"and I shall be glad to sell them; but--"

"The thought of going personally to sell your jewels humiliates you,"
the generous-hearted young man added; "then let me do it