INS AND OUT OF THE MATTER 351 



"And you will give me no more encouragement than 

 this? No good wish or omen?" 



"Yes," said Maria again, "I wish that you may 

 succeed " here she slipped her hand in the belt 

 of her gown and drew out a little chamois bag attached 

 to her watch, "and for an omen, here is the opal you 

 gave me you give it a happy interpretation and one 

 is very apt to lose an unset stone, you know!" 



But as neither walls nor leaves have tongues, Mary 

 Penrose never learned the real ins and outs of this 

 matter. 



