sharp with Penelope at starting. "Now, young
woman, attend to me—and mind you speak the
truth." Penelope fired up instantly. "I've never
been taught to tell lies, Mr. Policeman!—and
if father can stand there and hear me accused
of falsehood and thieving, and my own bedroom
shut against me, and my character taken away,
which is all a poor girl has left, he's not the
good father I take him for!" A timely word
from me put Justice and Penelope on a
pleasanter footing together. The questions and
answers went swimmingly; and ended in nothing
worth mentioning. My daughter had seen Miss
Rachel put the Diamond in the drawer of the
cabinet, the last thing at night. She had gone
in with Miss Rachel's cup of tea, at eight the
next morning, and had found the drawer open
and empty. Upon that, she had alarmed the
house—and there was an end of Penelope's
evidence.

Mr. Superintendent next asked to see Miss
Rachel herself. Penelope mentioned his request
through the door. The answer reached us by
the same road: "I have nothing to tell the
policeman—I can't see anybody." Our
experienced officer looked equally surprised and
offended, when he heard that reply. I told him
my young lady was ill, and begged him to wait
a little and see her later. We thereupon went
down-stairs again; and were met by Mr.
Godfrey and Mr. Franklin, crossing the hall.

The two gentlemen, being inmates of the
house, were summoned to say if they could
throw any light on the matter. Neither of
them knew anything about it. Had they heard
any suspicious noises during the previous
night? They had heard nothing but the pattering
of the rain. Had I, lying awake longer
than either of them, heard nothing either?
Nothing! Released from examination, Mr.
Franklin (still sticking to the helpless view of
our difficulty) whispered to me: "That man will
be of no earthly use to us. Superintendent
Seegrave is an ass." Released in his turn, Mr.
Godfrey whispered to me: "Evidently a most
competent person. Betteridge, I have the
greatest faith in him!" Many men, many
opinions, as one of the ancients said, before my
time.

Mr. Superintendent's next proceeding took
him back to the "boudoir" again, with my
daughter and me at his heels. His object was
to discover whether any of the furniture had
been moved, during the night, out of its
customary place—his previous investigation in
the room having, apparently, not gone quite
far enough to satisfy his mind on this point.

While we were still poking about among the
chairs and tables, the door of the bedroom was
suddenly opened. After having denied herself
to everybody, Miss Rachel, to our astonishment,
walked into the midst of us of her own
accord. She took up her garden hat from a
chair, and then went straight to Penelope with
this question:

"Mr. Franklin Blake sent you with a
message to me this morning?"

"Yes, miss."

"He wished to speak to me, didn't he?"

"Yes, miss."

"Where is he now?"

Hearing voices on the terrace below, I looked
out of window, and saw the two gentlemen
walking up and down together. Answering
for my daughter, I said, "Mr. Franklin is on
the terrace, miss."

Without another word, without heeding Mr.
Superintendent, who tried to speak to her;
pale as death, and wrapped up strangely in her
own thoughts, she left the room, and went down
to her cousins on the terrace.

It showed a want of due respect, it showed a
breach of good manners, on my part; but, for
the life of me, I couldn't help looking out of
window when Miss Rachel met the gentlemen
outside. She went up to Mr. Franklin without
appearing to notice Mr. Godfrey, who thereupon
drew back and left them by themselves.
What she said to Mr. Franklin appeared to be
spoken vehemently. It lasted but for a short
time; and (judging by what I saw of his face
from the window) seemed to astonish him
beyond all power of expression. While they
were still together, my lady appeared on the
terrace. Miss Rachel saw her—said a few last
words to Mr. Franklin—and suddenly went
back into the house again, before her mother
came up with her. My lady, surprised herself,
and noticing Mr. Franklin's surprise, spoke to
him. Mr. Godfrey joined them, and spoke
also. Mr. Franklin walked away a little,
between the two, telling them what had happened,
I suppose; for they both stopped short, after
taking a few steps, like persons struck with
amazement. I had just seen as much as this,
when the door of the sitting-room was opened
violently. Miss Rachel walked swiftly through to
her bedroom, wild and angry, with fierce eyes and
flaming cheeks. Mr. Superintendent once more
attempted to question her. She turned round
on him at her bedroom door. "I have not sent
for you!" she cried out, vehemently. "I don't
want you. My Diamond is lost. Neither
you nor anybody will ever find it!" With
those words she went in, and locked the door
in our faces. Penelope, standing nearest to it,
heard her burst out crying the moment she was
alone again.

In a rage, one moment; in tears, the next!
What did it mean?

I told the Superintendent it meant that Miss
Rachel's temper was upset by the loss of her
jewel. Being anxious for the honour of the
family, it distressed me to see my young lady
forget herself—even with a police-officer—and
I made the best excuse I could, accordingly.
In my own private mind, I was more puzzled
by Miss Rachel's extraordinary language and
conduct than words can tell. Taking what she
had said at her bedroom door as a guide to
guess by, I could only conclude that she was
mortally offended by our sending for the police,
and that Mr. Franklin's astonishment on the
terrace was caused by her having expressed