78                        la pelegrina. cent, are looked upon with great suspicion and any questioner is liable to repent of his inquisi-tiveness. It is a pity that so historic a gem as the Pelegrina should be practically lost to us in a Russian lady's jewel casket. Any other large pearl would have served her purpose equally •well for mere ornament, and had the Pelegrina remained in Western Europe we should prob­ably know something more about it or at all events we should be able to ask what questions we like without incurring the suspicion of treason and of being desirous of hurling the Romanoffs from their throne.