A Ring of Rubies

and that grinding poverty for ever."

  I could do a great deal if I sold Cousin Geoffrey's ring. A great deal,but not all, and I must not part in a hurry with a legacy which was notonly beautiful, but had such a substantial money-value.

  I popped my bit of ribbon, therefore, into my pocket, looked sadly atthe few remaining shillings in my purse, and took the next train back toThorpdale.

  I arrived at Ivy Lodge in time for an afternoon cup of tea with mymother. I was very hungry, for I had not ventured on the extravaganceof lunch in town, and while I ate, I regaled her with the account of mymorning's adventures. She was by no means astonished when she heardthat the old Jew dealer had offered me one hundred and fifty pounds forthe ring.

  "It is worth a good deal more than that," she said. "I know the centreruby has been priced at a very high figure by more than one connoisseur.Nevertheless, you are not going to sell the ring, are you, Rosamund?"

  "It would pay my expenses at the Slade," I said somewhat mischievously.

  My mother was about to reply when we were both startled by hearing thesound of a latch-key in the hall-door lock. I opened the door of thelittle drawing-room and peeped out.

  "Jack!" I exclaimed. "What has brought you back at this hour?"

  "My headache is worse," he replied, "I could not stay in town, so I camehome."

  "Oh, I am sorry," I said. "Mother, Jack has come home with a badheadache."

  My mother stepped into the hall.

  "You are looking very ill indeed," she exclaimed.

  Jack growled in that peculiarly ungracious way which always drove mewild when it was addressed to our mother.

  "I am not ill," he said. "What a fuss women make! I have just got abeastly headache."

  "Come into the drawing-room, and have a cup of tea, my dear boy."

  "I could not sit up, thank you, mother. I'll go to my room, and seewhat a stretch on the bed and a nap will do for me. If Rosamund likesto be good-natured, she can bring me up some tea in half an hour."

  I did not particularly wish to be good-natured; nevertheless, at thetime specified I took the tea to Jack. He sat up when I entered theroom; there were feverish spots on his cheeks.

  "Bother that tea!" he exclaimed. "Put it down, and shut the door,Rosamund. Now come over, and sit near me. If I don't tell you what isthe matter, I shall go mad."

  CHAPTER FOUR.

  BORROWED!

  I sat down at once by Jack's bedside.

  "What are you going to tell me?" I asked.

  "How prosaic you are, Rose."

  "Well, you never like me to make a fuss."

  "That is true, and no doubt you will act sensibly in the presentemergency. It is nice to be pitied, and affection is of value, butsense, oh yes, unquestionably common sense comes first of all." I couldnot help gazing at Jack with wide-open round eyes while he was speaking.

  "You never in your whole life asked me to show feeling or affection," Imanaged to gasp out. "What do you mean by regretting it now? Your headmust be wandering."

  "Well, well, Rose, perhaps it is. It certainly aches badly enough toaccount for any vagaries in my speech. But now to business--or ratherto the kernel of the matter. Rose, I am going to be very ill, _very_dangerously ill--do you understand?"

  "I hope I don't, Jack. You have a bad headache, which will soon getbetter."

  "I repeat, I am going to be dangerously ill. I have taken fever. Iknow the symptoms, for I have watched them in another."

  "In another? Whom do you mean? When have you been with afever-stricken patient?"

  "You will start when you hear my next words. I have been nursing mywife through fever."

  "Jack--your wife! Are you married? Oh, Jack!"

  "Well, go on, Rosamund. Get over your astonishment. Say, `Oh Jack!' asoften as you like, only believe in the fact without my having to repeatit to you. I am married. My wife has scarlet fever; I have nursed hertill I could hold up no longer, and now I have taken it myself."

  I looked full into my brother's face. It was flushed now, and his browneyes were bright. He was a big fellow, and he looked absolutelyhandsome as he sat up in bed with the fever gleam shining through hiseyes, and a certain sad droop about his still boyish mouth. I own thatI never found Jack so interesting before. He had behaved very badly, ofcourse, in marrying any one secretly, but he was the hero of a romance.He had feeling and affection. I quite loved him. I bent forward andkissed him on his cheek.

  "Go on," I said. "You want me to help you. Tell me all the story asquickly as you can."

  "But you will shrink from me when you know all."

  "No, I promise that I won't. Now do go on."

  "I believe I must tell you quickly, for this pain rages and rages, and Ican scarcely collect my thoughts. Now then, Rosamund, these are thebare facts. Six months ago I fell in love with Hetty. Her other namedoesn't matter, and who she was doesn't matter. I used to meet her inthe mornings when she walked to a school where she was teaching. Wewere married and I took her to some lodgings in Putney."

  "But you had no money."

  "Well, I had scarcely any. I used to make an odd pound now and then bybringing home work to copy, and Hetty did not lose her situation asteacher. She still went to the school, and she told no one of hermarriage. I meant to break it to you all when I began to get my salary,for you know my time of apprenticeship will expire at Christmas. Thingswouldn't have turned out so badly, for Hetty has the simplest tastes,poor little darling, if she had not somehow or other got this horriblescarlet fever. She was so afraid I'd take her to the hospital; but notI!--the landlady and I nursed her between us."

  "But, Jack, where did you get the money?" The heavy flush got deeper onmy brother's brow. He turned his head away, and his manner becamealmost gruff.

  "That's the awkward part," he growled. "I--I borrowed the money."

  "From whom?"

  "Chillingfleet."

  "Mr Chillingfleet? He's the head of your firm, isn't he?"

  "Yes, yes. I went into his room one day. His private drawer was open;I took four five-pound notes. That was last Monday. He won't miss themuntil next Monday--the day he makes up his accounts. I thought Hettywas dying, and the notes stared me in the face, and I--I _borrowed_them. He has tens of thousands of pounds, and I--I borrowed twenty."

  "Jack--Jack--you stole them!"

  I covered my face with my hands; I trembled all over.

  "Oh, don't, Rose! call me by every ugly name you like--there, I know I'ma brute."

  "No, you're not," I said. I had recovered myself by this time. Ilooked at his poor flushed face, at his trembling hands. He was athief, he had brought disgrace upon our poor but honest name, but atthis moment I loved him fifty times better than George.

  "Listen to me, Jack," I said. "I won't say one other word to abuse youat present. What's more, I will do what I can to help you."

  "God bless you, Rosamund. You don't really mean that? Really andtruly?"

  "I really and truly mean it. Now lie down and let me put these sheetsstraight. This is Friday. Something can be done between now andMonday. Are you quite sure that Mr Chillingfleet will not find out theloss of the notes before Monday?"

  "Yes, he always banks on Monday, and he makes up his accounts then.Rose, you have got no money; you cannot save me."

  "I have certainly got no money, Jack, but I have got woman's wit. Haveyou spent all the twenty pounds?"

  "Every farthing. I owed a lot to Mrs Ashton, Hetty's landlady."

  "Now you must give me Hetty's address."

  "Oh, I say, Rose, you are a brick! Are you going to see her?"

  "Yes, of course."

  "Are you going to-day?"

  "I'll go, if I possibly can."

  "You must be very gentle with her, remember."

  "I'll do my best."

  "And for goodness' sake don't frighten her about me."

  "No."

  "You must make up some kind of excuse
about me. You must on no accountlet out that I have caught this horrible thing. Do you understand,Rosamund, if Hetty finds this out it will kill her at once."

  "I'll do my very best for you, Jack. I won't do anything to injureHetty. I don't know her, but I think I can promise that. Now, please,give me her address."

  "Twenty-four, Peacock Buildings, fourth story, care of Mrs Ashton.When you get to Putney, you turn down Dorset Street, and it's the fifthturning to the right. Can you remember?"

  "Yes, yes. Now