"These opals are splendid.
Who gave it to you, Beatrice?"
The question came upon her suddenly like a deadly shock; she had
forgotten all about the ring, and wore it only from habit.
For a moment her heart seemed to stand still and her senses to
desert her. Then with a self-possession worthy of a better
cause, Beatrice looked up into her father's face with a smile.
"It was given to me at the Elms," she said, so simply that the
same thought crossed the minds of her three listeners--that it
had been given by Dora and her daughter did not like to say so.
Lord Earle looked on in proud delight while his beautiful
daughters chose the jewels they liked best. The difference in
taste struck and amused him. Beatrice chose diamonds, fiery
rubies, purple amethysts; Lillian cared for nothing but the
pretty pale pearls and bright emeralds.
"Some of those settings are very old-fashioned," said Lord Earle.
"We will have new designs from Hunt and Boskell. They must be
reset before you go to London."
The first thing Beatrice did was to take off the opal ring and
lock it away. She trembled still from the shock of her father's
question.
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