The Argosy — page 68: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

52 LADY ENNERDALE’S JEWELS. - nya sae will certainly either lose that case, or have it stolen from you, one of these days,” said Lord Ennerdale to his wife, in that peculiarly acidulated tone which her ladyship disliked above all things to hear. It was the zoth of December. Lord and Lady Ennerdale were going down to Fairmead to spend Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Nugent Dawson. Quite a distinguished company were to meet there, and Lady Ennerdale had determined to take her diamonds. She felt sure that no such necklace as hers would be seen at Fair- mead. It was not merely that the stones of which it was composed were remarkable for their weight and brilliancy, it was the fact of their being so inimitably matched as regarded size and quality that gave the necklace an almost unique reputation among such baubles. It had come down to the present Earl from his great grandfather, who had brought it with him from India (there were strange stories afloat at the time as to the mode in which he had become possessed of it), and it was looked upon as being as much a part of the entailed pro- perty as Wychcombe itself. There was a second family jewel of lesser value than the necklace, but almost as highly prized, in a certain emerald bracelet, which had been an heirloom in the Ennerdale family for generations, and had glittered on the arm of one Countess after another from the days of Queen Anne until now. That Lady Ennerdale duly prized these family treasures need hardly be said, but being naturally of a somewhat forgetful and unsuspicious disposition, her husband more than once had felt himself compelled to beg of her to look more carefully after their safe keeping. On one occasion her ladyship had left her jewel-case behind her, when returning from a country visit, and had not discovered her loss till the train had taken her twenty miles on her homeward journey. In this instance the telegraph was at once put into requisition, and no harm ensued. Another time there was clear evidence that an attempt had been made to enter her dressing-room at home, with what in- tention there could be little doubt. The attempt, however, had been foiled, but even had it been successful the thieves would not have found the booty they were doubtless in search of, the Earl having taken the precaution to deposit the necklace and other valuables with his bankers only a few days previously. Knowing, as he did, how forgetful his wife often was, even over matters of much importance, it was not to be wondered at that his lordship sometimes felt an uneasy qualm with regard to the safety of the family jewels. connicloooks (CO)