am sure you felt as I did while he was
here; you felt quite yourself, did not you? If it had not been for the
woman's clothes, it would really have been scarcely terrifying at all.
There is something much more human about a housebreaker than I had
fancied. But yet it was very inhuman of him to take your ring."

Margaret wept more bitterly than any one had seen her weep since her
unhappy days began, and her friend could not comfort her. It was a case
in which there was no comfort to be given, unless in the very faint and
unreasonable hope that the ring might be offered for sale to some
jeweller in some market town in the county; a hope sadly faint and
unreasonable; since country people who would take plate and ornaments
must, in all probability, be in communication with London rogues, who
would turn the property into money in the great city. Still, there was
a possibility of recovering the lost treasure; and on this possibility
Maria dwelt perseveringly.

"But, Margaret," she went on to ask, "what is this about your watch?
Have you indeed sold it?"

"Yes. Morris managed that for me while Hester was confined. I am glad
now that I parted with it as I did. It has paid some bills which I know
made Edward anxious; and that is far better than its being in a
housebreaker's hands."

"Yes, indeed: but I am sorry you all have such a struggle to live. Not
a shilling in the house but the one you gave up!"

"So much for Edward's being out. It happened very well; for he could
not have helped us, if he had been here. You saw there were three of
them. What I meant was, that Edward has about him the little money that
is to last us till Christmas. The rent is safe enough. It is in Mr
Grey's strong box or the bank at Blickley. The rent is too important a
matter to be put to any hazard, considering that Mr Rowland is our
landlord. It is all ready and safe."

"That is well. Now, Margaret, could you swear to this visitor of ours?"

"No," said Margaret, softly, looking round, as if to convince herself
that he was not there still. "No: his bonnet was so large, and he kept
the shadow of it so carefully upon his face, that I should not know him
again--at least, not in any other dress; and we shall never see him
again in this. It is very disagreeable," she continued, shuddering
slightly, "to think that we may pass him any day or every day, and that
he may say to himself as we go by, `There go the ladies that sat with
thei