"Here are your presents." With both hands she flung the jewels-pins and rings and earrings and bracelets--among the breakfast-dishes, from which some of them sprang to the floor.

She stood a moment to pull the intaglio ring from the finger where Beaton put it a year ago, and dashed that at her father's plate.

Then she whirled out of the room, and they heard her running up-stairs.
The old man made a start toward her, but he fell back in his chair before she was gone, and, with a fierce, grinding movement of his jaws, controlled himself.

"Take-take those things up," he gasped to Mrs.
Mandel.

He seemed unable to rise again from his chair; but when she asked him if he were unwell, he said no, with an air of offence, and got quickly to his feet.