'Would you believe,' said Winnie, 'that I never saw a ruby in my
life? And now I particularly want to know all about rubies.'
'Why do you want particularly to know?'
'Because,' said Winifred, 'my father, when he wished me to come out
for a walk, had been talking a great deal about rubies.'
'Your father had been talking about rubies, Winifred--how very odd!'
'Yes,' said Winifred, 'and he talked about diamonds too.'
'THE CURSE!' I murmured, and clasped her to my breast. 'Kiss me,
Winifred!'
There had come a bite of sudden fire at my heart, and I shuddered
with a dreadful knowledge, like the captain of an unarmed ship, who,
while the unconscious landsmen on board are gaily scrutinising a sail
that like a speck has appeared on the horizon, shudders with the
knowledge of what the speck is, and hears in imagination the yells,
and sees the knives, of the Lascar pirates just starting in pursuit.
As I took in the import of those innocent words, falling from
Winifred's bright lips, falling as unconsciously as water-drops over
a coral reef in tropical seas alive with the eyes of a thousand
sharks, my skin seemed to roughen with dread, and my hair began to
stir.
Pages:
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187