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 for you, and relieve you of the disagreeable task."
"How kind you are; how you read my very thoughts; but I do not like to trouble you," murmured the beautiful woman, with a quiver of her red lips and a thrilling glance. "And yet," she continued, "I must have money at once. I was going to my lawyer this morning to beg him to try and raise something for me in some way, for I must settle my bill here to-day. I have dismissed my maid and engaged a room at No. 10—— street, and am going there this afternoon. Oh! Mr. Cutler, it is very hard to be obliged to confess my poverty," and she had to abruptly cease her remarks, in order to preserve her self-control, for she seemed upon the point of breaking down utterly.
"Mrs. Bently," said the young man, with sudden impulse, "let me relieve you from all unpleasantness; let me advance you the sum which Mr. Arnold named; then I can take the crescents to him and he will make it right with me."
A peculiar smile lingered about his lips as he concluded.
"That is exceedingly kind of you," Mrs. Bently said, gratefully, "but, truly, Mr. Cutler, I am almost afraid to take you at your word."
"Why?"
"Because I have always regarded the crescents as paste, and—and I cannot quite divest myself of the idea even now, in spite of your assurance," she answered, with a clouded brow.
Her companion laughed aloud.
"I will be responsible for their genuineness," he returned. "See!" he added, drawing a card from his pocket and writing rapidly upon it. "I will give you this to ease your conscience."
She took it and read:
"I, the undersigned, purchase of Mrs. Bently a pair of crescent ornaments which she affirms are paste, but which I am content to accept as genuine, for the sum agreed upon."
The price was carried out in figures, and his full name signed underneath.
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"You are determined to befriend me, in spite of my scruples," she murmured, brokenly.
"I would gladly do a hundred-fold more for you," he replied, with tender earnestness. "Will you let me have the crescents now?"
"Yes, and thank you more than I can express," she answered, with drooping lids.
He drew forth a wallet filled with bills, and began to count out the sum he had named.
"Wait a moment," said Mrs. Bently, the color mounting to her temples; "I have a handsome case for the ornaments. I will go and get it for you."
She turned suddenly and vanished from his presence, before he could tell her he would rather take them in the little box.
"How sensitive the poor child is!" he murmured, with a tender smile; "she could not even bear to see me count out the money."
Mrs. Bently soon returned with a handsome morocco case in her hands.
"They look better in this," she remarked, as she lifted the lid, and revealed the crescents lying upon a rich black velvet bed; "and," with a nervous little laugh, "now that I know they are genuine, I really am very loath to part with them, in spite of my necessity."
She closed the case with a snap, and passed it to him, and he slipped a roll of crisp bank-bills into her hand.
"This arrangement will smooth all difficulties, I trust," he said, "and now," with a slight tremor in his voice, "I have a special favor to ask. May I come to see you at No. 10—— street?"
"Certainly, you may, Mr. Cutler," she replied, lifting a bright, eager face to him, "and I assure you I shall have a warmer welcome for no one else. I cannot tell you how grateful I am—"
"Do not speak of that," he interposed. "I am amply repaid for anything I have done by seeing the look of trouble gone from your face. I must bid you good morning now, but I shall give myself the pleasure of calling upon you very soon."
He held out his hand to her, and she laid hers within it. He was surprised to find it icy cold and trembling, but he attributed it to emotion caused by the parting with him.
"Then I shall only say au revoir," she responded, smiling.
She looked so lovely that he longed to draw her within his arms and take a more tender leave of her, but again putting a curb upon himself, he simply bowed, and left her, when with a quick, elastic step, she swept up stairs to her own apartments.
Justin Cutler was very busy all the morning, and did not find time to go to the jeweler's until the afternoon.
He had no intention of disposing of the crescents—he simply wished to tell him that he had himself concluded to purchase them, and then ask the privilege of depositing them in Mr. Arnold's safe for a few days; for they were to be his gift to the woman he loved, if she received his suit with favor.
The gentleman was in, and his eyes lighted as his glance fell upon the case which Mr. Cutler laid upon the show-case, for he believed that, in purchasing the crescents, he was going to get an unusually good bargain.
"Ah," he remarked, "the lady has decided to dispose of the stones?"
"Yes; but—" Mr. Cutler began, when he suddenly stopped, and gazed, astonished, at the man.
He had taken the case, opened it, and started in dismay as he saw what were within, while a look of blank consternation overspread his face.
Then he turned sternly, almost fiercely, upon the young man.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, in a threatening tone. "Did you imagine you could cheat me in this miserable