It was Knight who had
given her this little piece of advice, the first time after their
marriage that she had dined with him in evening dress, and since then
she had never forgotten to follow it.
To-night, however, feeling suddenly conscious of the chain, she was on
the point of looking down to make sure that it was shrouded in her laces.
Something stopped her. With a quick warning thump of the heart she
glanced across at Ruthven Smith.
A few minutes ago he had not been wearing his eyeglasses. Now they were
on, pinching the high-bridged, thin nose. And he was peering through them
at her--peering at her neck, her dress, as if he searched for something.
Ruthven Smith knew about the blue diamond. He knew that she wore it on
a chain, hidden in her dress. The certainty of this shot through brain
and body like forked lightning and seemed to sear her flesh. She was
afraid. She could not tell yet of what she was afraid, but when she could
disentangle her twisted thoughts one from another the reason would be
clear.
Then it was as if her mind separated itself from the rest of her and
began to run back along the path she had travelled with Knight since the
hour of their first meeting.
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