Newland, you may now speak to Lady de Clare."

"Lady de Clare, have you not a pair of ear-rings of coral and gold of
very remarkable workmanship?"

"I have, sir," replied she, with surprise.

"Had you not a necklace of the same? and if so, will you do me the
favour to examine this?" I presented the necklace.

"Merciful heaven!" cried Lady de Clare, "it is the very necklace!--it
was on my poor Cecilia when she was drowned, and it was not found with
the body. How came it into your possession, sir? At one time,"
continued Lady de Clare, weeping, "I thought that it was possible that
the temptation of the necklace, which has a great deal of gold in it,
must, as it was not found on her corpse, have been an inducement for the
gipsies, who were in the neighbourhood, to drown her; but Sir William
would not believe it, rather supposing that in her struggles in the
water she must have broken it, and that it had thus been detached from
her neck. Is it to return this unfortunate necklace that you have come
here?"

"No, madam, not altogether. Had you two white ponies at the time?"

"Yes, sir."

"Was there a mulberry-tree in the garden?"

"Yes, sir," replied the astonished lady.

"Will you do me the favour to describe the appearance of your child as
she was, at the time that you lost her?"

"She was--but all mothers are partial, and perhaps I may also be so--a
very fair, lovely little girl."

"With light hair, I presume?"

"Yes, sir. But why these questions? Surely you cannot ask them for
nothing," continued she hurriedly. "Tell me, sir, why all these
questions?"

Mr Masterton replied, "Because, madam, we have some hopes that you have
been deceived, and that it is possible that your daughter was not
drowned."

Lady de Clare, breathless and her mouth open, fixed her eyes upon Mr
Masterton, and exclaimed, "Not drowned! O my God! my head!" and then
she fell back insensible.

"I have been too precipitate," said Mr Masterton going to her
assistance; "but joy does not kill. Ring for some water, Japhet."

PART TWO, CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

IN WHICH, IF THE READER DOES NOT SYMPATHISE WITH THE PARTIES, HE HAD
BETTER SHUT THE BOOK.

In a few minutes Lady de Clare was sufficiently recovered to hear the
outline of our history; and as soon as it was over, she insisted upon
immediately going with us to the school where Fleta was domiciled, as
she could ascertain, by several marks known but to a nurse or mother, if