by L. T. Meade
humanity, but if I, the great _artiste_, had the dressing of you, Imight make you at least presentable. The idea of a chit like youpresuming to refuse to sell a trinket!"
"I don't want to sell my ring," I said. "But it is possible that I maylend it to you another evening. Even that I am not sure about. Give itback to me now, please."
I held out my hand. Madame Leroy drew back.
"I am very sorry," she said, reddening; "the fact is, I have not got thering."
"Not got my ring?"
"No. Lady Ursula Redmayne borrowed the ring last night. She sent me amessenger this morning with a letter, and no ring. Shall I read you herletter?"
"I do not care to hear it," I said. "It is no matter to me what LadyUrsula Redmayne writes to you. I want my ring."
"Well, miss,"--Madame Leroy's tone was now decidedly angry,--"seeing howvery anxious you were last night for the immediate loan of five pounds,you have a mighty independent way with you. Lady Ursula Redmayne,indeed! I can tell you it isn't every one as has the privilege ofgetting letters from Lady Ursula."
While Madame Leroy was speaking I had a great many flashes of thought.Her first words recalled me to myself. A girl who had come indesperation to hire out a family trinket for what she could get for it,was surely inconsistent when she disdained even the suggestion of afuture patron. Lady Ursula, whoever she was, would buy the ring. Ofcourse she must not have it, I must be a great deal harder pressedbefore I could consent to part with my Talisman, my "Open Sesame" intothe Land of Romance. But I knew that I _did_ want money. I wantedtwenty pounds before Monday, if I would help Jack--I wanted furthermoney if I would continue to assist his wife.
All these thoughts, as I say, flashed through me, and by the time MadameLeroy had finished speaking, I had quite altered my tone.
"I am sorry to appear rude," I said. "I know you were very kind to helpme last night. Will you please tell me what Lady Ursula says about myring?"
"Candidly, my dear, she wants to buy it from you. Here is her letter.She says:--
"`Dear Madame Leroy,--You must get me that lovely ruby ring at anyprice. I refuse to part from it. Name a price, and I will send you acheque.'
"There's a chance for you," said Madame Leroy, flinging down her letter."You can't say I have not been a good friend to you after that letter.Name any price in reason for that old ring, and you shall have it--mycommission being twenty per cent."
"But I don't wish to sell the ring, Madame Leroy."
"I am sorry, Miss Lindley, I am afraid you have no help for yourself.Lady Ursula Redmayne intends to buy it."
This was not at all the right kind of thing to say to me. I was veryproud, and all my pride flashed into my face.
"You think because I am poor, and Lady Ursula is rich, that she is tohave my property?" I said. "You must send a messenger for the ring atonce. I will wait here until he returns."
Poor Madame Leroy looked absolutely stupefied.
"I never met such a queer young lady," she said. "How can I send amessage of that sort? Why, it will offend my best, my very bestcustomer. If you have no pity on yourself, Miss Lindley, you ought tohave some on me."
"What can I do for you, Madame Leroy? I cannot sell the ring."
"Well, you might go yourself to Lady Ursula. She is eccentric. Shemight take a fancy to you. You might go to her, and explain yourmotives, which are more than I can understand. And above all things youmight exonerate me; you might explain to her that I did my best to getthe ring for her."
"I could certainly do that."
"Will you?"
"I will go to Lady Ursula, if it does not take up too much of my time."
"She lives in Grosvenor Street, not five minutes' drive from here. Youshall go in a hansom at my expense at once."
CHAPTER SIX.
THE ARISTOCRAT.
The house in Grosvenor Street was the most splendid mansion I had everseen. It was Cousin Geoffrey's house over again, only there were nocobwebs, no neglect, no dirt anywhere. The household machinery wasperfect, and well oiled. I suppose I ought to have felt timid whenthose ponderous doors were thrown open, and a powdered footman stared atme in the insolent manner which seems specially to belong to theseservitors of the great. I had no feeling of abasement, however. Thelady, be she young or old, who resided in this palace, wanted a boonfrom me; I required nothing at her hands except my own property backagain.
I said to the footman:
"Is Lady Ursula Redmayne at home?"
He replied in the affirmative.
"I wish to see her," I continued. "Will you have the goodness to letLady Ursula know at once that I have called at the request of MadameLeroy to speak to her on the subject of a ring."
A sudden flash of intelligence and interest swept over the man'simpassive features. Then he resumed his wooden style, and flinging thedoor yet wider open invited me to enter.
I was shown into a small room to the left of the great entrance hall,and had to consume my own impatience for the next ten minutes as best Imight. At the end of that time the servant returned.
"Come this way, madam," he said.
He ushered me up a flight of stairs, down another flight of stairs,along a dimly-lighted gallery hung with many Rembrandts andGainsboroughs, and suddenly opening a door ushered me into a kind ofrose-coloured bower. There was a subtle warmth and perfume about theroom, and the coloured light gave me for a moment a giddy and unnervedfeeling.
"Miss Lindley, your Ladyship," announced the man. The door was softlyclosed, indeed it seemed to vanish into a wall of tapestry.
The rose-coloured light had for an instant confused my sight, and I didnot see the girl, no older than myself, who was lying back in aneasy-chair, and pulling the silken ears of a toy-terrier.
When the man left the room she sprang up, flung the dog on the ground,who gave a squeaking bark of indignation, and came to meet me as if Iwere a dear old friend.
"Sit down, Miss Lindley. How good of dear old Madame to send you to me!And so you are the owner of that heavenly ring?"
Lady Ursula was very pretty. Her voice was like a flute; her dress wasperfection; her manner almost caressing. But even there, in thatrose-coloured bower, I recognised her imperiousness, and I felt that ifshe were crossed her sweet tones would vanish, and I should be permittedto gaze at a new side of her character.
"You have come about the ring," she said. "Now, what _do_ you want forit? It is a treasure, but you won't be too extravagant in your demands,will you?"
"I won't be extravagant at all, Lady Ursula," I cried. "I have nodemand to make, except to ask you to let me have my property back."
"The ring back? The ruby ring? Oh, my dear good creature you don'tunderstand. I wrote to Madame Leroy offering to buy it. I will giveyou a cheque for it, Miss Lindley--or gold, if you prefer it. You shallhave a price for the ring. Your own price, if it is not beyond reason.Now do you understand?"
"I understand perfectly," I replied--I am afraid my tone was nettled--Icertainly felt very angry. "I understand," I said. "You want me tosell the ring--I don't intend to sell it. It was a legacy left to me bya cousin, and I--I won't part with it."
I said these words so decidedly that the fine young lady, who all herlife had lived luxuriously, and, perhaps, now for the first time in herexistence had her whim refused, stared at me in amazement. Her browsbecame contracted. Her pleasant, kindly, but insufferably condescendingmanner changed to one more natural although less amiable. Lady Ursulaceased to be the aristocrat, and became the woman.
"You won't sell your ring?" she said. "But you did much the same lastnight. Last night you took money for the ring left to you by your--yourcousin. I wore the ruby ring, and I paid you money for the loan."
"I know you did," I answered. "I wanted money last night. I was indespair for money. I heard through one of her apprentices that MadameLeroy now and then hired out jewels to some of her rich customers. Youwore the ring and paid me for it. Now I want
it back. I am in a hurry,so please let me have it at once." I stood up as I spoke. Lady Ursuladid not stir.
"Sit down," she said. "No, not on that stiff little ottoman, but on thesofa, close to me. Now we can talk cosily. This seems an excitingstory, Miss Lindley, and you have an exciting way of putting things.Fancy you, wanting money so badly as to have to hire out your ring. Ialways knew there were creatures in the world who would do anything tosecure money, but I had not an idea that ladies were put to thesestraits."
"You know very little indeed about the lives of some ladies," Ianswered. "The need of money comes to some who are ladies, and itpresses them
