Carwitchet leaned across the table eagerly, the table gave
a lurch, the lamp tottered, crashed over, and we were left in
semidarkness.
"Don't stir!" Carwitchet shouted. "The paraffin is all over the place!" He
seized my sofa blanket, and flung it over the table while I stood
helpless. "There, that's safe now. Have you candles on the chimney-piece?
I've got matches."
He looked very white and excited as he lit up. "Might have been an awkward
job with all that burning paraffin, running about," he said quite
pleasantly. "I hope no real harm is done." I was lifting the rug with
shaking hands. The two stones lay as I had placed them. No! I nearly
dropped it back again. It was the stone in the case that had the loop with
the three sham sapphires!
Carwitchet picked the other up hastily. "So you say this is rubbish?" he
asked, his eyes sparkling wickedly, and an attempt at mortification in his
tone.
"Utter rubbish!" I pronounced, with truth and decision, snapping up the
case and pocketing it. "Lady Carwitchet must have known it."
"Ah, well, it's disappointing, isn't it? Good-by, we shall not meet
again."
I shook hands with him most cordially. "Good-by, Lord Carwitchet. _So_
glad to have met you and your mother. It has been a source of the
_greatest_ pleasure, I assure you."
I have never seen the Carwitchets since.
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