I had myself almost forgotten the reason of my visit in my interest in my new surroundings, not having even as yet given up the jewels to Sir George Danvers or Ralph; but, at the urgent request of all the ladies at once, Ralph begged me to bring them down, to be seen and admired then and there, before the rehearsal began.
"They will all be yours, you know," Ralph said to Aurelia.

"You shall wear them on your wedding-day." "You are always talking about being married," said Aurelia, with a little pout.

"I wish you would try and think of something else to say.

I was quite looking forward to it myself until I came here, and now I am quite, _quite_ tired of it beforehand." Ralph laughed delightedly, and Sir George reminding me that every one was dying of anxiety, himself included, I ran up-stairs to take the brown bag from around my neck, and in a few minutes returned with it in my hand.

They were all waiting for me, Lady Mary drawn up in an arm-chair beside an ebony table, on which a small space near her had been cleared, Charles alone holding rather aloof, sipping his coffee with his back to the fire.
"Don't jostle," he said, as they all crowded round me.