Page:MacGrath--The luck of the Irish.djvu/352

 these for about a hundred rupees, madam. These were originally made here in Singapore. Admirable imitations made of fish-scale."

"Fish scale?" Suddenly Ruth laughed.

The jeweler caught the hysterical note. "Yes, madam." His thought was: here is another American tourist who has been rooked.

"Thank you," she said, steadily. "You need not bother to match them, under the circumstances."

"Very well, madam." Deftly he replaced the artificial pearls in the box, which he extended to her with a bow.

Ruth went out into the street, into the mellowing sunshine. She paused at the curb irresolutely. The whole drama unrolled itself before her eyes, and then receded forever. She took off the lid of the box, poured the pearls into her hand, and then let them trickle into the gutter.