her room, and
make plain to her, in the only way you can, that the extremely valuable
article which has been lost to-night is not in your possession."

She threw up her arms with a scream. "Oh, what a horror! I cannot! I
cannot! Oh, I shall die of shame! My father! My mother!" And she burst
from the room like one distraught.

But in another moment she came cringing back.

"I cannot face them," she said. "They all believe it; they will always
believe it unless I submit! Oh, why did I ever come to this dreadful
place? Why did I order this hateful dress, which I can never pay for,
and which, in spite of the misery it has caused me, has failed to bring
me the----" She did not continue. She had caught my eye and seen there,
perhaps, some evidence of the pity I could not but experience for her.
With a sudden change of tone she advanced upon me with the appeal: "Save
me from this humiliation. I have not seen the ruby. I am as ignorant of
its whereabouts as--as Mr. Ashley himself. Won't you believe me? Won't
they be satisfied if I swear----"

I was really sorry for her. I began to think, too, that some dreadful
mistake had been made. Her manner seemed too ingenuous for guilt. Yet
where could that ruby be, if not with this young girl? Certainly, all
other possibilities had been exhausted, and her story of the bill, even
if accepted, would never quite exonerate her from secret suspicion while
that elusive jewel remained unfound.

"You give me no hope," she moaned. "I must go out before them all, and
ask to have it proved that I am no thief. Oh, if God would only have
pity----!"

"Or some one should succeed in finding----Halloo, what's that?"

A shout had risen from the hall beyond.

She gasped, and we both plunged forward. Mr. Ashley, still in his
overcoat, stood at the other end of the hall, and facing him were ranged
the whole line of young people whom I had left scattered about in the
various parlours. I thought he appeared to be in a peculiar frame of
mind; and when he glanced our way, and saw who was standing with me in
the library doorway, his voice took on a tone which made me doubt
whether he was about to announce good news or bad.

But his first word settled that question.

"Rejoice with me!" he cried. "_The ruby has been found!_ Do you want to
see the culprit, for there is a culprit? We have him at the door. Shall
we bring him in?"

"Yes, yes!" cried several voices, among them that of Mr. Deane, who now
s