The Great Pearl Secret

								

the house by half-past twelve.  Unluckily, however, the Britannia had
been delayed outside for a sister ship to leave the dock.
She--Juliet--had gone home from Mrs. Van Esten's to receive the
messenger, with her husband.  But the former and Pat's trusted man,
sent to meet him, had not arrived.  She had waited a few minutes, and
had then come on in the car to Mrs. Lowndes'.  Of course, the auto had
been detained for ages, at two or three crossings!  It was always like
that if one were late!  And now she could not be at home when the
pearls appeared, for there were engagements, which couldn't be broken,
for the whole of the afternoon.
After all, the luncheon was a great success.  The Duchess atoned for
her sins by being "sweet" to everyone, much sweeter than she had
troubled herself to be, as a spoiled young girl, with strangers.  She
was as pleased as a child with the delicious dishes ordered, almost
with prayer, by Nat; and when she was obliged to go, after coffee and
cigarettes, she left behind her a charming impression.  Mrs.
Selby-Saunders and Miss Solomon and all the rest made up for their
sharp speeches by praising the bride's beauty and exquisite clothes.
"She's much prettier than she used to be," generously said Nat (who had
never seen Juliet as Miss Phayre), "and the Duke must be a fool if he
likes Lyda Pavoya better.  If he neglects his wife, she won't have any
trouble finding someone else who won't."
"What about that cousin of hers, Jack Manners, who used to be in love
with her when she was almost a child?--a nephew of her mother's," asked
Mrs. Selby-Saunders.  "An awfully nice fellow!  She ought to have
married him.  They say he volunteered before America joined the Allies,
because she refused him----"
"He's in France still," Nat supplied the information eagerly.  "My
sister-in-law, Lady West, met him there----"
"I saw in some newspaper that he was to sail for home on the
Britannia" said Miss Solomon.  "Perhaps he is the messenger
bringing the pearls!"

CHAPTER IV
THE LETTER WITH THE TSARINA'S SEAL
John Manners was not the messenger bringing the pearls.  Even if he had
been asked to bring them, he would not have accepted the responsibility
of escorting Claremanagh's "ewe lamb" across the Atlantic.  He knew
more about those pearls than he wanted to know, for he had been in love
with Juliet Phayre before he began to like Claremanagh--to like him in
spite of himself, in spite of natural jealousy, and in spite of
prejudice.  It was a mere coincidence that he should be on the same
ship with Monsieur Mayen's messenger, for with the return of Mayen from
Russia, Manners' friendly services for the Duke came to an end.
His services for France were ended also; and he was keenly interested
in his own emotions as he touched the bell on the front door of the
Phayre house.  How would it feel to meet Juliet married--and married to
a man with whom fate had queerly forced him into friendship?