His face fell as he seized my hand, and peered at the ring long and intently.

Then he cast a quick glance of suspicion at his men, of hatred at me.

But I cared nothing for his glance, or his hatred.

I saw already that he had made up his mind to obey the charm: and that for me was everything.

"If you had shown that to me a little earlier, young sir, it would, maybe, have been better for both of us," he said, a surly menace in his voice.