'I shall treasure this picture always, above all things,' she said: but
'why did you have it set so splendidly, Jack? No gems were needed to
give your mother's portrait value in my eyes.'
'I know that, dearest, but I wanted to make the locket worth wearing.
And now for the other cases. The locket is your lover's free gift, and
is yours to keep and to bequeath to your children. These are heirlooms,
and yours only during your husband's lifetime.'
He opened one of the largest cases, and on a bed of black velvet Mary
beheld a magnificent diamond necklace, with a large pendant. He opened
another and displayed a set of sprays for the hair. Another contained
earrings, another bracelets, the last a tiara.
'What are they for?' gasped Mary.
'For my wife to wear.'
'Oh, but I could never wear such things,' she exclaimed, with an idea
that these must be stage jewellery. 'They are paste, of course--very
beautiful for people who like that kind of thing--but I don't.'
She felt deeply shocked at this evidence of bad taste on the part of her
lover.
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