completely, Lady
Eustace. I suppose there is hardly hope now of recovering them."
Lizzie smiled and shook her head. "Isn't it odd that they never
should have discovered the thieves? I'm told they haven't at all
given it up,--only, unfortunately, they'll never get back the
necklace." She sat there for about a quarter of an hour, and then,
as she took her leave, she whispered a few words to Lizzie. "He is
to come and see you;--isn't he?" Lizzie assented with a smile, but
without a word. "I hope it will be all right," said Lady Glencora,
and then she went.

Lizzie liked this friendship from Lady Glencora amazingly. Perhaps,
after all, nothing more would ever be known about the diamonds,
and they would simply be remembered as having added a peculiar and
not injurious mystery to her life. Lord George knew,--but then
she trusted that a benevolent, true-hearted Corsair, such as was
Lord George, would never tell the story against her. The thieves
knew,--but surely they, if not detected, would never tell. And if the
story were told by thieves, or even by a Corsair, at any rate half
the world would not believe it. What she had feared,--had feared till
the dread had nearly overcome her,--was public exposure at the hands
of the police. If she could escape that, the world might still be
bright before her. And the interest taken in her by such persons as
the Duke of Omnium and Lady Glencora was evidence not only that she
had escaped it hitherto, but also that she was in a fair way to
escape it altogether. Three weeks ago she would have given up half
her income to have been able to steal out of London without leaving
a trace behind her. Three weeks ago Mrs. Carbuncle was treating her
with discourtesy, and she was left alone nearly the whole day in
her sick bedroom. Things were going better with her now. She was
recovering her position. Mr. Camperdown, who had been the first to
attack her, was, so to say, "nowhere." He had acknowledged himself
beaten. Lord Fawn, whose treatment to her had been so great an
injury, was coming to see her that very day. Her cousin Frank, though
he had never offered to marry her, was more affectionate to her than
ever. Mrs. Carbuncle had been at her feet that morning borrowing
money. And Lady Glencora Palliser,--the very leading star of
fashion,--had called upon her twice! Why should she succumb? She had
an income of four thousand pounds a year, and she thought that she
could remember that her aunt, Lady