means," said Miss Lapham, coloring crimson, "that you have
cheated the young lady. You ought to have given her four times as much
for the brooch."

The man shrugged his shoulders.

Miss Lapham grew redder than ever, "I happen to know Miss Howland's
address," she said. Then she went away without giving' him time to add
a word.

When she had left the shop the younger Mr. Pearce turned to his
brother, took the little brooch from the drawer into which he had
carelessly thrown it, and gave it to the elder Mr. Pearce to examine.
"There's a find here," he said; "only, somehow, I feel a bit
uncomfortable. How did one of the young ladies from Aylmer House come
by a treasure of this sort?"

The other man examined the brooch carefully. "It's worth a good bit,"
he said. "What did you give her for it?"

"Five pounds; but somehow I think that I ought not to have taken it
for that sum."

"It is worth at least two hundred," said the elder Mr. Pearce. "Where
did you say she lived?"

"She is one of the young ladies at Aylmer House--Miss Howland."

"What! from Mrs. Ward's school?"

"Yes."

"You had better give me that brooch, Alfred," said his brother. "We'll
have to consider what is to be done. We can't rob the young lady of
it. We had best consult Mrs. Ward."

"Oh, as to that," said the younger Pearce, "that sounds almost as
shabby as giving the schoolgirl too little money."

"Well, lock it up for the present," said the elder Pearce; "but I am
an honest tradesman, and I can't see even a schoolgirl robbed."

"She was up to some little lark," said the younger man, "and evidently
did not know the value of the brooch. Why, I think she'd have taken a
pound for it. But what she did know the value of was her precious
time; she was very much annoyed at being kept waiting and at being
asked for her address. It is plain she got out without leave; and
although the brooch may belong to her--I am sure I hope it does--she
has broken a rule, you mark my words. Those schoolgirls are always up
to larks. Well, I'd never have thought it of one of Mrs. Ward's
girls."

"It is a pity you didn't consult me, Alfred," said his brother. "The
best thing to do now is to put the brooch carefully away. We'll
consider what is best to be done with it; but as to giving the young
lady only five pounds for what we can sell any day at Christie's for a
couple of hundred, that is not to be thought of."

CHAPTER XIX.

THE LETTER.

Maggie got