for
ever, I must beg you at once to repay me the sum of
L150,--which you have borrowed from me; and I must also
insist on your letting me have back the present of silver
which was prepared for your niece's marriage. That you
should retain it as a perquisite for yourself cannot for
a moment be thought of, however convenient it might be to
yourself.

Yours, &c.,

E. EUSTACE.

As far as the application for restitution went, or indeed in regard
to the insult, she might as well have written to a milestone. Mrs.
Carbuncle was much too strong, and had fought her battle with the
world much too long, to regard such word-pelting as that. She paid no
attention to the note, and as she had come to terms with the agent of
the house by which she was to evacuate it on the following Monday,--a
fact which was communicated to Lizzie by the servant,--she did not
much regard Lizzie's threat to remain there. She knew, moreover, that
arrangements were already being made for the journey to Scotland.

Lizzie had come back from the attorney's chambers in triumph, and
had been triumphant when she wrote her note to Mrs. Carbuncle; but
her elation was considerably repressed by a short notice which she
read in the fashionable evening paper of the day. She always took the
fashionable evening paper, and had taught herself to think that life
without it was impossible. But on this afternoon she quarrelled
with that fashionable evening paper for ever. The popular and
well-informed organ of intelligence in question informed its readers,
that the Eustace diamonds--&c., &c. In fact, it told the whole
story; and then expressed a hope that, as the matter had from the
commencement been one of great interest to the public, who had
sympathised with Lady Eustace deeply as to the loss of her diamonds,
Lady Eustace would be able to explain that part of her conduct
which certainly, at present, was quite unintelligible. Lizzie threw
the paper from her with indignation, asking what right newspaper
scribblers could have to interfere with the private affairs of such
persons as herself!

But on this evening the question of her answer to Lord Fawn was
the one which most interested her. Lord Fawn had taken long in the
writing of his letter, and she was justified in taking what time she
pleased in answering it;--but, for her own sake, it had better be
answered quickly. She had tried her hand at two different replies,
and did not at all