She had been careful not to wear her necklace of pearls that night, and she took it out of the case now and laid it upon her knees.

She was very sorry to part with it.

She touched and caressed the pearls with loving fingers, and once she lifted it as though she would place it about her neck.

But she checked her hands, fearing that if she put it on she would never bring herself to let it go.

Already as she watched and fingered it and bent her head now and again to scrutinise a stone, small insidious voices began to whisper at her heart.
"He asked for nothing when he gave it you." "You made no promise when you took it." "It was a gift without conditions hinted or implied." Violet Oliver took the world lightly on the whole.