"Sidney! do you hear? That insolent
man has been dunning. You don't seem to
consider how disagreeable it is for me!"

"What insolent man? Who is it that
you mean?" muttered Frost, closing his
eyes completely.

"You may well ask. Duns have been
quite numerous lately," rejoined Mrs.
Frost, with a sneer, as she seated herself
in an arm-chair opposite to the sofa. "But
none of them have been so insupportable
as that Wilson."

"The jeweller?"

"Yes; the jeweller. And you know,
really and truly, Sidney, this kind of thing
must be put a stop to."

Frost smiled bitterly.

"How do you suggest putting a stop to
it?" he asked.

"I suggest! You are too amusing."

It would be impossible to convey the
disdain of the tone in which this was said.

"Wilson came here, and saw you, and
was insolent?"

"Very."

"What did he say?"

"How can I repeat word for word what
he said? He declared that he must have
the price of the opal bracelet. I happened
to have it on, and that put it into his head,
I suppose. He said, too, very impertinently,
that people who cannot afford to pay for
such jewels had no right to wear them. I
told him that was your affair."

"My affair! I don't wear bracelets."

"You know that it is nonsense talking
in that way, Sidney. I beg you to
understand that I cannot be exposed to the
insults of tradespeople."

"Can you not? Listen, Georgina.
Tomorrow you must give me that opal when
I go to business. I shall drive first to
Wilson's, and ask him to take back the
bracelet. He will probably make me pay
for your having had it so long, but, as the
stone is a really fine one, I think he will
consent to take it back."

"Take back my bracelet!"

"It is not your bracelet. Do you remember
that, when you first spoke of buying it,
I forbade you to do so, and told you the
price of it was beyond my means to pay?"

"Take back my bracelet!"

"Come here, Georgy. Sit down beside
me. Ah, how fresh and cool your hand is!
Put it on my forehead for a moment.
Listen, Georgy. I am in great trouble
and embarrassment. I have a considerable
sum of money which I—I—which
I owe, to make up within six months.
Six months is the limit of time allowed
me."

Mrs. Frost shrugged her shoulders with
the air of a person who is being bored by
unnecessary details. "Well?" she said.

Her husband suppressed his indignation
at her indifference, and proceeded:

"During that time I shall have to strain
every nerve, to try every means, to scrape
together every pound. I shall have——"

"I thought," said Georgina, interrupting
him, "that your journey to Naples was
to make your fortune. I have not yet
perceived any of the fine results that were
to flow from it."

"Matters have not gone as I hoped and
expected. Still I do not despair even yet.
No; far from it. I believe the shares will
come all right, if we can but tide over——"

He checked himself, after a glance at her
face. It was calm, impassive, utterly
unsympathising. Her eyes were cast down,
and were contemplating the opal bracelet
as the arm which it adorned lay gracefully
on her lap. Sidney Frost heaved a deep
sigh, that ended in something like a moan.

"I don't know whether you are listening
to me, or whether you understand me,
Georgina?"

"I heard what you said. But I can't
see why you should want to take away my
opal. I never heard of such a thing. I
little expected that such a thing would
ever happen to me."

"Be thankful if nothing worse happens
to you."

"Worse! What can be worse? I
promised to wear the bracelet at Lady
Maxwell's, on Wednesday, to show to a
friend of hers, a Polish countess who boasts
of her jewels. Lady Maxwell had told her
of my bracelet, and had said, moreover,
that mine was far handsomer than any
single opal she had ever seen."

"You must make some excuse to her."

"What excuse can I make? It is too
bad!" And Mrs. Frost put her delicate
handkerchief to her eyes.

Her husband remained silent; and after
a little while she looked up at him in
perplexity. She did not often have recourse
to tears. But she had hitherto found them
infallible in softening Sidney's heart
towards her, let him be as angry as he might.

Presently the dinner-gong sounded.
After a short pause, Mrs. Frost wiped her
eyes, and said, in a cold voice, "Are you
not coming to dinner, Sidney?"

"No; it is impossible. I could eat
nothing."