n't say a word to the man,--and I didn't want him to come."

"I hope it will be all found out now," said Lucinda.

"I wish it were all clean forgotten," said Lizzie.

"It ought to be found out," said Mrs. Carbuncle. "But the police
should be more careful in what they say. I suppose we shall all have
to go before the magistrates again."

Poor Lizzie felt that fresh trouble was certainly coming upon her.
She had learned now that the crime for which she might be prosecuted
and punished was that of perjury,--that even if everything was known,
she could not be accused of stealing, and that if she could only get
out of the way till the wrath of the magistrate and policemen should
have evaporated, she might possibly escape altogether. At any rate,
they could not take her income away from her. But how could she get
out of the way, and how could she endure to be cross-examined, and
looked at, and inquired into, by all those who would be concerned in
the matter? She thought that, if only she could have arranged her
matrimonial affairs before the bad day came upon her, she could have
endured it better. If she might be allowed to see Lord George, she
could ask for advice,--could ask for advice, not as she was always
forced to do from her cousin, on a false statement of facts, but with
everything known and declared.

On that very day Lord George came to Hertford Street. He had been
there more than once, perhaps half a dozen times, since the robbery;
but on all these occasions Lizzie had been in bed, and he had
declined to visit her in her chamber. In fact, even Lord George had
become somewhat afraid of her since he had been told the true story
as to the necklace at Carlisle. That story he had heard from herself,
and he had also heard from Mr. Benjamin some other little details as
to her former life. Mr. Benjamin, whose very close attention had been
drawn to the Eustace diamonds, had told Lord George how he had valued
them at her ladyship's request, and had caused an iron case to be
made for them, and how her ladyship had, on one occasion, endeavoured
to sell the necklace to him. Mr. Benjamin, who certainly was intimate
with Lord George, was very fond of talking about the diamonds, and
had once suggested to his lordship that, were they to become his
lordship's by marriage, he, Benjamin, might be willing to treat with
his lordship. In regard to treating with her ladyship,--Mr. Benjamin
acknowledged that he thought it would be too