The Argosy — page 333: what you’re looking at

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

310 The Diamond Bracelets. Times, “ you will do nothing of the kind. Why, you would be stared at by the whole house !” “Well,” she retorted petulantly, ‘‘ what does that matter? There is no use in having pretty things if they are never seen. At all events, I shall wear the bracelets.” This compromise appearing to satisfy her liege lord, the latter resumed his reading, while the lady retired to meditate on the selec- tion of a toilette. On their arrival at the theatre, shortly after the rising of the curtain, hardly a seat was vacant. From their “coign of vantage” they at once discovered that one of the stage-boxes was occupied by the Princess de and her suite, and the other by a group of Oriental dignitaries in their national costume, and resplendent with jewels. A second glance round the house agreeably convinced Mrs. Morton Dewsbury, from the opera glasses directed towards her box, that her two bracelets, exactly alike, the centre-piece of each of which was a magnificent diamond surrounded by smaller stones, attracted general notice ; so that the good lady was in a state of pleasurable excite- ment and gratified vanity. Her crowning triumph, however, was yet to come. A few minutes . after the termination of the first act, the door of her box was opened to give admittance to an irreproachably-attired visitor, whom neither Mrs. Dewsbury nor her husband recollected to have seen before. ““T have to apologise, Madame,” said the stranger, with a slight foreign accent, ‘‘ for this unauthorised intrusion; but I come as an ambassador, and these are my credentials,” handing to the lady, as he spoke, a card, on which was inscribed— ‘¢Le Comte de Lansberg. Chambellan de S. A. sérénissime la Princesse de —— ”’ ‘My errand,” he continued, “will doubtless appear to you a very singular one, but I trust to your indulgence to excuse the infraction of etiquette of which I am unavoidably guilty. My august mistress, who is sitting yonder,”’—here he pointed to the stage box—‘ is passionately fond of diamonds, and for the last hour has been so struck by the brilliancy of those you are wearing, that she has com- missioned me to solicit the favour of being allowed to examine them more closely. May I therefore entreat your permission to gratify the Princess’s curiosity by entrusting to me one of your bracelets, which shall be safely returned to you?” Intensely flattered by this courteously-worded request, Mrs. Morton Dewsbury at once unclasped the ornament, and with a gracious smile delivered it to the Count, who, with reiterated apologies, with- drew. He had not been long gone, when Percy Warrington, a young clerk of the Foreign Office, and a frequent visitor at the house in Mayfair, entered the box, and was naturally regaled with a full CORNICLOOKS. COn