The thousand facets of the diamond sparkled and
shone like flames of fire about her shapely neck and shoulders, and
it is safe to say that none but she could have borne the weight of
such an ornament with so much ease and grace.
This was a double triumph, and the Count de Dreux was highly elated
when they returned to their chamber in the old house of the
faubourg Saint-Germain. He was proud of his wife, and quite as
proud, perhaps, of the necklace that had conferred added luster to
his noble house for generations. His wife, also, regarded the
necklace with an almost childish vanity, and it was not without
regret that she removed it from her shoulders and handed it to her
husband who admired it as passionately as if he had never seen it
before. Then, having placed it in its case of red leather, stamped
with the Cardinal's arms, he passed into an adjoining room which
was simply an alcove or cabinet that had been cut off from their
chamber, and which could be entered only by means of a door at the
foot of their bed. As he had done on previous occasions, he hid it
on a high shelf amongst hat-boxes and piles of linen. He closed
the door, and retired.
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