time in the same house with a woman who had deceived all the
police,--all the police,--has been too much for her. I know it has
been almost too much for me." And yet, as Lizzie at once understood,
Mrs. Carbuncle knew nothing now which she had not known when she made
her petition to be taken to Portray. And this was the woman, too, who
had borrowed her money last week, whom she had entertained for months
at Portray, and who had pretended to be her bosom-friend. "You are
quite right in getting off to Scotland as soon as possible,--if they
will let you go," continued Mrs. Carbuncle. "Of course you could not
stay here. Up to Friday night it can be permitted; but the servants
had better wait upon you in your own rooms."

"How dare you talk to me in that way?" screamed Lizzie.

"When a woman has committed perjury," said Mrs. Carbuncle, holding
up both her hands in awe and grief, "nothing too bad can possibly be
said to her. You are amenable to the outraged laws of the country,
and it is my belief that they can keep you upon the treadmill and
bread and water for months and months,--if not for years." Having
pronounced this terrible sentence, Mrs. Carbuncle stalked out of the
room. "That they can sequester your property for your creditors, I
know," she said, returning for a moment and putting her head within
the door.

The carriage was ready, and it was time for Lizzie to start if
she intended to keep her appointment with Mr. Camperdown. She was
much flustered and weakened by Mrs. Carbuncle's ill-usage, and had
difficulty in restraining herself from tears. And yet what the woman
had said was false from beginning to end. The maid, who was the
successor of Patience Crabstick, was to accompany her; and, as she
passed through the hall, she so far recovered herself as to be able
to conceal her dismay from the servants.

CHAPTER LXXII

Lizzie Triumphs

Reports had, of course, reached Mr. Camperdown of the true story of
the Eustace diamonds. He had learned that the Jew jeweller had made a
determined set at them, having in the first place hired housebreakers
to steal them at Carlisle, and having again hired the same
housebreakers to steal them from the house in Hertford Street, as
soon as he knew that Lady Eustace had herself secreted them. By
degrees this information had reached him,--but not in a manner to
induce him to declare himself satisfied with the truth. But now Lady
Eustace was coming to him,--as he presumed,