Chapter XV (2)

Lady Maud thus found herself in possession of a considerable fortune, for she accepted the inheritance when she was assured that it would go to the Russian Crown if she refused it. But there was a fall in the price of rubies, and the Russian government at once sent an expensive expedition to find the mine, an attempt which altogether failed, because Ivan Leven had never told any one where it was, nor anything about it, and the court only knew from certain jewellers who had dealt both with Kralinsky and Baraka, that it was 'somewhere in Central Asia,' which is an insufficient direction, even for a ruby mine.

The wealth Lady Maud thus commands enables her to carry much further than formerly the peculiar form of charity which she believes to be her own invention, if it may be properly called charity at all, and which consists in making it worth while and agreeable to certain unfortunate people to live decent lives in quiet corners without starving, instead of calling to them to come out from behind the Virtue-Curtain and be reformed in public. It is a very expensive charity, however, and very hard to exercise, and will never be popular; for the popular charities are those that cost least and are no trouble.

Madame Konstantinos Logotheti is learning French and English, on the Bosphorus, with her husband, and will make a sensation when he brings her to London and Paris. On the day of his marriage, in Constantinople, Logotheti received a letter from Lady Maud, telling him how sorry she was that she had not believed him, that day on the yacht at Scaletta, and saying that she hoped to meet his wife soon. It was an honest apology from an honest woman.

He received a letter a few days later from Margaret, and on the same day a magnificently printed and recklessly illustrated booklet reached him, forwarded from Paris. The letter was from Margaret to tell him that she also took back what she had thought about Baraka and hoped to see him and her before long. She said she was glad, on the whole, that he had acted like a lunatic, because it was likely that they would both be happier. She herself, she said, was going to be married to Mr. Van Torp, at St. George's, Hanover Square, before sailing for New York, where she was going to sing at the Opera after Christmas. If he should be in town then, she hoped he would come, and bring his wife.

The booklet was an announcement, interleaved with fine etchings, to the effect that 'The Madame da Cordova and Rufus Van Torp Company' would open their new Opera House in Fifth Avenue less than two years hence, with a grand Wagner Festival, to last two months, and to include the performance of _Parsifal_ with entirely new scenery, and the greatest living artistes, whose names were given. There was a plan of the house at the end of the booklet for the benefit of those who wished to make arrangements for being at the festival, and such persons were admonished that they must apply early if they expected to get seats.

* * * * *

Mr. Van Torp had told the Diva that he would like her to choose a wedding present which she really wanted, adding that he had a few little things for her already. He produced some of them, but some were on paper. Among the latter was a house in New York, overlooking the Park and copied exactly from her own in London, the English architect having been sent to New York himself to build it. Two small items were two luxurious private cars of entirely different patterns, one for America and one for Europe, which she was always to use when she travelled, professionally or otherwise. He said he did not give her the _Lancashire Lass_ because 'it wasn't quite new'--having been about ten months in the water--but he had his own reasons, one of which was that the yacht represented a sentiment to him, and was what he would have called a 'souvenir.' But if she could think of anything else she fancied, 'now was the time.'

She said that there was only one thing she should really like, but that she could not have it, because it was not in the market. He asked what it was, and it turned out to be the ruby which Logotheti had given her, and had taken to Pinney's to be cut, and which had been the cause of so many unexpected events, including her marriage. Logotheti had it in his possession, she supposed, but he had shown good taste in not trying to press it on her as a wedding present, for she could not have accepted it. Nevertheless, she wanted it very much, more as a remembrance than for its beauty.

Mr. Van Torp said he 'thought he could fix that,' and he did. He went directly to Mr. Pinney and asked what had become of the stone. Mr. Pinney answered that it was now cut, and was in his safe, for sale. The good man had felt that it would not be tactful to offer it to Mr. Van Torp. Logotheti, who was a fine gentleman in his way, had ordered it to be sold, when a good opportunity offered, and directed that the money should be given to the poor Greeks in London, under the supervision of Lady Maud Leven, the Turkish Ambassador, and the Greek Minister, as a committee. Mr. Pinney, after consultation with the best experts, valued it at fourteen thousand pounds sterling. Mr. Van Torp wrote a cheque for the money, put the stone into an inner pocket, and took it to the Diva.

'Well,' he said, smiling, 'here's your ruby, anyway. Anything else to-day?'

Margaret looked at him wonderingly, and then opened the small morocco case.

'Oh--oh--oh!' she cried, in rising intimations of delight. 'I never saw anything so beautiful in my life! It's ever so much more glorious than when I last saw it!'

'It's been cut since then,' observed Mr. Van Torp.

'It ought to have a name of its own! I'm sure it's more beautiful than many of the named crown jewels!' She felt half hypnotised as she gazed into the glorious depths of the great stone. 'Thank you,' she cried, 'thank you so very much. I'm gladder to have it than all the other things.'

And thereupon she threw her magnificent arms round Rufus Van Torp's solid neck, and kissed his cool flat cheek several times; and it seemed quite natural to her to do so; and she wished to forget how she had once kissed one other man, who had kissed her.

'It wants a name, doesn't it?' assented Mr. Van Torp.

'Yes. You must find one for it.'

'Well,' he said, 'after what's happened, I suppose we'd better call it "The Diva's Ruby."'

MR. CRAWFORD'S LATEST NOVELS

_Each, cloth, 12mo, $1.50_

=The Primadonna=

"Mr. Crawford is a born story-teller. His imagination and
inventiveness show as fresh and unwearied in his latest book
as they did in 'Mr. Isaacs.'"--_Evening Telegraph_,
Philadelphia.

=Fair Margaret= A Portrait.

"An exhilarating romance, ... alluring in its naturalness
and grace."--_Boston Herald._

=Arethusa=

Dr. Frederick Taber Cooper, in _The Bookman_, says of Mr.
Crawford: "In theory Mr. Crawford is a romanticist; in
practice he is in turn realist, psychologue, mystic,
whatever for the moment suits his needs or appeals to his
instinct of born story-teller." He calls him, in fact, as
others have done, "the prince of story-tellers."

_By the author of "Saracinesca," etc._

FRANK DANBY'S NEW NOVEL

=The Heart of a Child= _Cloth, $1.50_

"A book of such strength, such fineness, such sympathetic
insight ... stands out conspicuously above the general level
of contemporary fiction."--_The Bookman_.

"BARBARA'S" NEW BOOK

=The Open Window=

Tales of the Months told by "Barbara," author of "The Garden
of a Commuter's Wife," "People of the Whirlpool," etc.

_Frontispiece. Cloth, $1.50_

Mr. F. MARION CRAWFORD'S NOVELS

THE SARACINESCA SERIES

_In the binding of the Uniform Edition, each, $1.50_

=Saracinesca=

"The work has two distinct merits, either of which would
serve to make it great,--that of telling a perfect story in
a perfect way, and of giving a graphic picture of Roman
society in the last days of the Pope's temporal power....
The story is exquisitely told."--_Boston Traveler_

=Sant' Ilario.= A Sequel to "Saracinesca"

"A singularly powerful and beautiful story.... It fulfils
every requirement of artistic fiction. It brings out what is
most impressive in human action, without owing any of its
effectiveness to sensationalism or artifice. It is natural,
fluent in evolution, accordant with experience, graphic in
description, penetrating in analysis, and absorbing in
interest."--_New York Tribune._

=Don Orsino.= A Sequel to "Sant' Ilario"

"Perhaps the cleverest novel of the year.... There is not a
dull paragraph in the book, and the reader may be assured
that once begun, the story of _Don Orsino_ will fascinate
him until its close."--_The Critic._

=Taquisara=

"To Mr. Crawford's Roman novels belongs the supreme quality
of uniting subtly drawn characters to a plot of uncommon
interest."--_Chicago Tribune._

=Corleone=

"Mr. Crawford is the novelist born ... a natural
story-teller, with wit, imagination, and insight added to a
varied and profound knowledge of social life."--_The
Inter-Ocean_, Chicago.

=Casa Braccio.= _In two volumes, $2.00_. Illustrated by A. Castaigne.

Like _Taquisara_ and _Corleone_, it is closely related in
plot to the fortunes of the Saracinesca family.

"Mr. Crawford's books have life, pathos, and insight; he
tells a dramatic story with many exquisite touches."--_New
York Sun._

Mr. WINSTON CHURCHILL'S NOVELS

_Each, cloth, gilt tops and titles, $1.50_

=Mr. Crewe's Career= Illustrated

"Another chapter in his broad, epical delineation of the
American spirit.... It is an honest and fair story.... It is
very interesting; and the heroine is a type of woman as
fresh, original, and captivating as any that has appeared in
American novels for a long time past."--_The Outlook_, New
York.

"Shows Mr. Churchill at his best. The flavor of his humor is
of that stimulating kind which asserts itself just the
moment, as it were, after it has passed the palate.... As
for Victoria, she has that quality of vivid freshness,
tenderness, and independence which makes so many modern
American heroines delightful."--_The Times_, London.

=The Celebrity= An Episode

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appeared for years.... It is the purest, keenest
fun."--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._

=Richard Carvel= Illustrated

"... In breadth of canvas, massing of dramatic effect, depth
of feeling, and rare wholesomeness of spirit, it has seldom,
if ever, been surpassed by an American romance."--_Chicago
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=The Crossing= Illustrated

"'The Crossing' is a thoroughly interesting book, packed
with exciting adventure and sentimental incident, yet
faithful to historical fact both in detail and in
spirit."--_The Dial._

=The Crisis= Illustrated

"It is a charming love story, and never loses its
interest.... The intense political bitterness, the intense
patriotism of both parties, are shown
understandingly."--_Evening Telegraph_, Philadelphia.

=Coniston= Illustrated

"'Coniston' has a lighter, gayer spirit and a deeper,
tenderer touch than Mr. Churchill has ever achieved
before.... It is one of the truest and finest transcripts of
modern American life thus far achieved in our
fiction."--_Chicago Record-Herald._

Mr. ROBERT HERRICK'S NOVELS

_Cloth, extra, gilt tops, each, $1.50_

=The Gospel of Freedom=

"A novel that may truly be called the greatest study of
social life, in a broad and very much up-to-date sense, that
has ever been contributed to American fiction."--_Chicago
Inter-Ocean._

=The Web of Life=

"It is strong in that it faithfully depicts many phases of
American life, and uses them to strengthen a web of fiction,
which is most artistically wrought out."--_Buffalo Express._

=The Real World=

"The title of the book has a subtle intention. It indicates,
and is true to the verities in doing so, the strange
dreamlike quality of life to the man who has not yet fought
his own battles, or come into conscious possession of his
will--only such battles bite into the
consciousness."--_Chicago Tribune._

=The Common Lot=

"It grips the reader tremendously.... It is the drama of a
human soul the reader watches ... the finest study of human
motive that has appeared for many a day."--_The World
To-day._

=The Memoirs of an American Citizen.= Illustrated with about fifty drawings by F. B. Masters.

"Mr. Herrick's book is a book among many, and he comes
nearer to reflecting a certain kind of recognizable,
contemporaneous American spirit than anybody has yet
done."--_New York Times._

"Intensely absorbing as a story, it is also a crisp,
vigorous document of startling significance. More than any
other writer to-day he is giving us _the_ American
novel."--_New York Globe._

=Together=

"Journeys end in lovers meeting," says the old saw; so all
novels used to end--in marriage. Yet Mr. Herrick's
interesting new novel only begins there; the best brief
description of it is, indeed,--a novel about married people
for all who are married.

Mr. F. MARION CRAWFORD'S NOVELS

Mr. Crawford has no equal as a writer of brilliant
cosmopolitan fiction, in which the characters really belong
to the chosen scene and the story interest is strong. His
novels possess atmosphere in a high degree.

Mr. Isaacs

(India)

Its scenes are laid in Simla, chiefly. This is the work
which first placed its author among the most brilliant
novelists of his day.

Greifenstein

(The Black Forest)

"... Another notable contribution to the literature of the
day. It possesses originality in its conception and is a
work of unusual ability. Its interest is sustained to the
close, and it is an advance even on the previous work of
this talented author. Like all Mr. Crawford's work, this
novel is crisp, clear, and vigorous, and will be read with a
great deal of interest."--_New York Evening Telegram._

Zoroaster

(Persia)

"It is a drama in the force of its situations and in the
poetry and dignity of its language; but its men and women
are not men and women of a play. By the naturalness of their
conversation and behavior they seem to live and lay hold of
our human sympathy more than the same characters on a stage
could possibly do."--_The New York Times._

The Witch of Prague

(Bohemia)

_"A fantastic tale," illustrated by W. J. Hennessy._

"The artistic skill with which this extraordinary story is
constructed and carried out is admirable and delightful....
Mr. Crawford has scored a decided triumph, for the interest
of the tale is sustained throughout.... A very remarkable,
powerful, and interesting story."--_New York Tribune._

Paul Patoff

(Constantinople)

"Mr. Crawford has a marked talent for assimilating local
color, not to make mention of a broader historical sense.
Even though he may adopt, as it is the romancer's right to
do, the extreme romantic view of history, it is always a
living and moving picture that he evolves for us, varied and
stirring."--_New York Evening Post._

Marietta

(Venice)

"No living writer can surpass Mr. Crawford in the
construction of a complicated plot and the skilful
unravelling of the tangled skein."--_Chicago Record-Herald._

"He has gone back to the field of his earlier triumphs, and
has, perhaps, scored the greatest triumph of them
all."--_New York Herald._

Mr. F. MARION CRAWFORD'S NOVELS

NOVELS OF ROMAN SOCIAL LIFE

_In decorated cloth covers, each, $1.50_

=A Roman Singer=

"One of the earliest and best works of this famous
novelist.... None but a genuine artist could have made so
true a picture of human life, crossed by human passions and
interwoven with human weakness. It is a perfect specimen of
literary art."--_The Newark Advertiser._

=Marzio's Crucifix=

"We have repeatedly had occasion to say that Mr. Crawford
possesses in an extraordinary degree the art of constructing
a story. It is as if it could not have been written
otherwise, so naturally does the story unfold itself, and so
logical and consistent is the sequence of incident after
incident. As a story, _Marzio's Crucifix_ is perfectly
constructed."--_New York Commercial Advertiser._

=Heart of Rome.= A Tale of the Lost Water

"Mr. Crawford has written a story of absorbing interest, a
story with a genuine thrill in it; he has drawn his
characters with a sure and brilliant touch, and he has said
many things surpassingly well."--_New York Times Saturday
Review._

=Cecilia.= A Story of Modern Rome

"That F. Marion Crawford is a master of mystery needs no new
telling.... His latest novel, _Cecilia_, is as weird as
anything he has done since the memorable _Mr. Isaacs_.... A
strong, interesting, dramatic story, with the picturesque
Roman setting beautifully handled as only a master's touch
could do it."--_Philadelphia Evening Telegraph._

=Whosoever Shall Offend=

"It is a story sustained from beginning to end by an ever
increasing dramatic quality."--_New York Evening Post._

=Pietro Ghisleri=

"The imaginative richness, the marvellous ingenuity of plot,
the power and subtlety of the portrayal of character, the
charm of the romantic environment,--the entire atmosphere,
indeed,--rank this novel at once among the great
creations."--_The Boston Budget._

=To Leeward=

"The four characters with whose fortunes this novel deals
are, perhaps, the most brilliantly executed portraits in the
whole of Mr. Crawford's long picture gallery, while for
subtle insight into the springs of human passion and for
swift dramatic action none of the novels surpasses this
one."--_The News and Courier._

=A Lady of Rome=

Mr. F. MARION CRAWFORD'S NOVELS

WITH SCENES LAID IN ENGLAND AND AMERICA

_In the binding of the Uniform Edition_

=A Tale of a Lonely Parish=

"It is a pleasure to have anything so perfect of its kind as
this brief and vivid story.... It is doubly a success, being
full of human sympathy, as well as thoroughly artistic in
its nice balancing of the unusual with the commonplace, the
clever juxtaposition of innocence and guilt, comedy and
tragedy, simplicity and intrigue."--_Critic._

=Dr. Claudius.= A True Story

The scene changes from Heidelberg to New York, and much of
the story develops during the ocean voyage.

"There is a satisfying quality in Mr. Crawford's strong,
vital, forceful stories."--_Boston Herald._

=An American Politician.= The scenes are laid in Boston

"It need scarcely be said that the story is skilfully and
picturesquely written, portraying sharply individual
characters in well-defined surroundings."--_New York
Commercial Advertiser._

=The Three Fates=

"Mr. Crawford has manifestly brought his best qualities as a
student of human nature and his finest resources as a master
of an original and picturesque style to bear upon this
story. Taken for all in all, it is one of the most pleasing
of all his productions in fiction, and it affords a view of
certain phases of American, or perhaps we should say of New
York, life that have not hitherto been treated with anything
like the same adequacy and felicity."--_Boston Beacon._

=Marion Darche=

"Full enough of incident to have furnished material for
three or four stories.... A most interesting and engrossing
book. Every page unfolds new possibilities, and the
incidents multiply rapidly."--_Detroit Free Press._

"We are disposed to rank _Marion Darche_ as the best of Mr.
Crawford's American stories."--_The Literary World._

=Katharine Lauderdale=

=The Ralstons.= A Sequel to "Katharine Lauderdale"

"Mr. Crawford at his best is a great novelist, and in
_Katharine Lauderdale_ we have him at his best."--_Boston
Daily Advertiser._

"A most admirable novel, excellent in style, flashing with
humor, and full of the ripest and wisest reflections upon
men and women."--_The Westminster Gazette._

"It is the first time, we think, in American fiction that
any such breadth of view has shown itself in the study of
our social framework."--_Life._

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