STORY OF A ROPE OF PEARLS.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1033, 11 May 1883, Page 3

STORY OF A ROPE OF PEARLS.

o~ The Cpnntess ;of L., a great lady moving in the Court circles of Vienna, is passionately fond of pearls. In fact, she is the * female counterpart of Lord Topaz in “ Lothair.” A few days ago the Countess received a visit from her?jeweller, who very strongly recommended her. to become the purchaser of a most magnificent “ ropq of pearls,” “They are quite unique, uiadame, I assure you,” said the jeweller ; “ and the price to you is only a hundred thousand florins.” “ Only a hundred thousand florins !” repeated the countess, with a smile ; “ but riimporte, let me have a look at your gems. I feel strong enough to resist the temptation to buy.” Thereupon the jeweller opened the casket which contained his treasure, and displayed a string of pearls of such faultless beauty that Lothair himself would have been proud to.present them to the Lady Corisande. Meanwhile the opening of the casket acted like magic upon the countess. No sooner had she caught sight of its contents than she overwhelmed the jeweller with a heap of questions. “ Where—when—how—did yon come by those pearls, Mr ? How much did you give—l mean, from whom did yon buy them ?” “ I did not buy them at all,” replied the astonished jeweller; “ neither do they belong to mo., They were merely intrusted to'me by a lady to-sell oh commission.” " At the request of the countess, a footman was at once dispatched to bring ,the lady. After a brief delay, the lady arrived young, handsome, and elegantly dressed. She listened with a shbdued smile to the series of questions addressed to her. Nettled, but still retaining the command of her temper, the countess, wound np by touching a secret spring in the fastening of the necklace. “ There,” she exclaimed, pointing to her arms and motto engraved oh the side of the fastening, “ however you came into the possession of these pearls, you will ; hardly : venture to dispute that they belong to me. Four years ago they suddenly disappeared, from my jewel case, and now, after all inquiry had proved fruitless, they are found with you. lam under great obligations to the lady who has restored to me that which is my own.” In answer to this tirade the lady uttered not a word, but opening a small reticule which she carried in her hand, produced a highly-scented billet-dov.x,aud handed it to the countess, who started and swooned immediately. On recovering consciousness she went straight to her writing table, wrote a cheque for the amount demanded by the lady, and gave it to her without uttering a single word. The billet-doux was the hand-writing of the countess’s only son.