He was inclined to plume himself on the ease with
which, so far, it had been managed. His leaving the rings, and the
gems sewn within the camisole--though to be sure these were not
discovered for many hours--had been a masterstroke. He and his
comrades had been complimented together upon their honesty.
"The relief came duly; and in this frame of mind--a little sly,
but more than three parts triumphant--he returned to Ile Lezan and
was made welcome as something of a hero. (To do him credit, he had
worked hard in recovering the bodies from the wreck.) At all times
it is good to arrive home after a spell on the lighthouse.
The smell of nets drying and of flowers in the gardens, the faces on
the quay, and the handshakes, and the first church-going--they all
count. But to Lucien these things were for once as little compared
with the secret he carried. His marriage now was assured, and that
first evening--the Eve of Noel--he walked with Jeanne up the road to
the cottage, and facing it, told her his secret. They could be
married now. He promised it, and indicated the house with a wave of
the hand almost proprietary.
"But Jeanne looked at him as one scared, and said: 'Shall I marry a
thief?'
"Then, very quietly, she asked for a look at the jewels, and he
handed them to her.
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