answer.

"Have you been with Ida all the evening?" he asked.

"No, I haven't," was her reply.

She went into the bed-room, and was absent for a few minutes, then
reappeared.

"Do you know where my silver spoon is?" she asked, looking closely at
him.

"Your silver spoon?" he returned, in surprise. "Have you lost it?"

The article in question, together with a fork, hod been a
wedding-present from Mrs. Sprowl, whose character had in it a sort of
vulgar generosity, displayed at times in gifts to Harriet.

"I can't find it," Harriet said. "I was showing it to Ida Starr when
she was here on Sunday, and now I come to look for it, it's gone."

"Oh, it can't be very far off," said Julian. "You'll find it if you
look."

"But I tell you I've looked everywhere. It's gone, that's all I know."

"Well, but--what do you mean? How can it have gone?"

"I don't know. I only know I was showing it her on Sunday."

"And what connection is there between the two things?" asked Julian,
almost sternly. "You don't wish me to understand that Ida Starr knows
anything about the spoon?"

"How can I tell? It's gone."

"Come," exclaimed Julian, with a laugh, "this is too absurd, Harriet!
You must have taken leave of your senses. If it's gone, then some one
in the house has taken it."

"And why not Ida Starr?"

Julian stared at her with mingled anger and alarm.

"Why not? Simply because she is incapable of such a thing."

"Perhaps _you_ think so, no doubt. You think a good deal of her, it
seems to me. Perhaps you don't know quite as much about her as I do."

"I fancy I know much more," exclaimed Julian indignantly.

"Oh, do you?"

"If you think her capable of stealing your spoon, you show complete
ignorance of her character. What do you know of her that you should
have such suspicions?"

"Never mind," said Harriet, nodding her head obstinately.

There was again a long silence. Julian reflected.

"We will talk about this again to-morrow," he said, "when you have had
time to think. You are under some strange delusion. After all, I expect
you will find the spoon, and then you'll be sorry for having been so
hasty."

Harriet became obstinately silent. She cut a piece of bread and butter,
and took it into the other room. Julian paced up and down.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE OPPORTUNITY

One or two days after this, Ida Starr came home from work with a heavy
heart. Quite without notice, and without explanation, her employer