Shall I give it to you?
No, it can never be yours alone.

See, we will break the priceless thing." Seizing it by its stem with all his strength he struck the cup upon the table.

Then what seemed to be to me a marvel happened, for instead of shattering as I thought it surely would, it split in two from rim to foot.

Whether this was by chance, or whether the artist who fashioned it in some bygone generation had worked the two halves separately and cunningly cemented them together, to this hour I do not know.

At least so it befell.
"This is fortunate, Ana," said the Prince, laughing a little in his light way.