hazardous. Then came the
robbery of the box, and Lord George was all astray. Mr. Benjamin was
for a while equally astray, but neither friend believed in the other
friend's innocence. That Lord George should suspect Mr. Benjamin was
quite natural. Mr. Benjamin hardly knew what to think;--hardly gave
Lord George credit for the necessary courage, skill, and energy. But
at last, as he began to put two and two together, he divined the
truth, and was enabled to set the docile Patience on the watch over
her mistress's belongings. So it had been with Mr. Benjamin, who at
last was able to satisfy Mr. Smiler and Mr. Cann that he had been no
party to their cruel disappointment at Carlisle. How Lord George had
learned the truth has been told;--the truth as to Lizzie's hiding the
necklace under her pillow and bringing it up to London in her desk.
But of the facts of the second robbery he knew nothing up to this
morning. He almost suspected that Lizzie had herself again been at
work,--and he was afraid of her. He had promised her that he would
take care of her,--had, perhaps, said enough to make her believe
that some day he would marry her. He hardly remembered what he had
said;--but he was afraid of her. She was so wonderfully clever that,
if he did not take care, she would get him into some mess from which
he would be unable to extricate himself.

He had never whispered her secret to any one; and had still been at a
loss about the second robbery, when he too saw the paragraph in the
newspaper. He went direct to Scotland Yard and made inquiry there.
His name had been so often used in the affair, that such inquiry from
him was justified. "Well, my lord; yes; we have found out something,"
said Bunfit. "Mr. Benjamin is off, you know."

"Benjamin off?"

"Cut the painter, my lord, and started. But what's the good, now we
has the wires?"

"And who were the thieves?"

"Ah, my lord, that's telling. Perhaps I don't know. Perhaps I do.
Perhaps two or three of us knows. You'll hear all in good time, my
lord." Mr. Bunfit wished to appear communicative because he knew
but little himself. Gager, in the meanest possible manner, had kept
the matter very close; but the fact that Mr. Benjamin had started
suddenly on foreign travel had become known to Mr. Bunfit.

Lord George had been very careful, asking no question about the
necklace;--no question which would have shown that he knew that the
necklace had been in Hertford Street when the rob