"Clorinda," called Elizabeth, "go into the house. The next time you
venture any remark on me you will leave my service."

Clorinda sallied back as if she had been shot, and darted into her own
dominions, less favorably disposed than ever towards the mistress for
reproving her before Dolf.

Mr. Mellen dismissed the man, walked into the veranda and confronted his
wife. He was pale as death, in the moonlight. His agitation made
Elizabeth more sternly cold; she knew that look, she had borne it in his
suspicious, jealous moments in the old time.

"Did you lose that bracelet, Elizabeth?" he asked.

"Did I not say so?" she retorted.

"I can't understand it," he went on; "these sudden frights and tremors,
these mysterious losses----"

"The old suspicions," she broke in, goaded into defiance by the actual
danger. "You promised me to have done with all those things, Grantley."

"Admit at least----"

"I will admit nothing. I will not talk to you when you speak in that
tone. I am sorry the bracelet is gone, but I am not a child to be
threatened."

Elsie heard it all, and when the dialogue reached that point she crept
quietly upstairs, determined that at least she would be beyond even the
sound of their difficulty.

For a few moments they retorted bitterly upon each other. Formerly it
had been Elizabeth's resolution to bear in silence, but it is hard to be
patient when one has a fatal wrong to conceal.

It was very unsatisfactory, but there the matter ended.

The next morning Mr. Mellen made another thorough search for the
bracelet. Still no signs of it was discovered, but he did find traces of
footsteps in the grass, which proved the truth of Clorinda's suspicions.

"It's over, at all events," said Elsie, as she met Elizabeth on the
stairs.

"Over!" repeated the half-distracted woman, desperately; "who can tell
how or when it may come up again?"

Elsie kissed her and flew away, leaving Elizabeth to seek safety in the
solitude of her chamber, while she went in search of her brother, not
with the object of benefiting Elizabeth, but anxious to impress upon his
mind that she at least did nothing to distress or vex him.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

BELOW STAIRS.

While matters were moving on thus excitedly above stairs there was an
unusual commotion in the lower regions, effected by the machinations and
deceptions of that arch-flirt, Dolf. He had succeeded in accomplishing
what no sable gallant had ever done before; h