ad been arranged
between them that the iron safe should be opened then and there.
Though the weight to him who had taken it out of Lizzie's room had
not been oppressive, as it had oppressed the tall serving-man, it
might still have been an encumbrance to gentlemen intending to
travel by railway with as little observation as possible. They were,
however, well supplied with tools, and we will leave them at their
work.

On the next morning Lizzie was awakened earlier than she had
expected, and found, not only Patience Crabstick in her bedroom, but
also a chambermaid, and the wife of the manager of the hotel. The
story was soon told to her. Her room had been broken open, and her
treasure was gone. The party had intended to breakfast at their
leisure, and proceed to London by a train leaving Carlisle in the
middle of the day; but they were soon disturbed from their rest. Lady
Eustace had hardly time to get her slippers on her feet, and to wrap
herself in her dressing-gown, to get rid of her dishevelled nightcap,
and make herself just fit for public view, before the manager of the
hotel, and Lord George, and the tall footman, and the boots were
in her bedroom. It was too plainly manifest to them all that the
diamonds were gone. The superintendent of the Carlisle police was
there almost as soon as the others;--and following him very quickly
came the important gentleman who was the head of the constabulary of
the county.

Lizzie, when she first heard the news, was awe-struck, rather than
outwardly demonstrative of grief. "There has been a regular plot,"
said Lord George. Captain Fitzmaurice, the gallant chief, nodded his
head. "Plot enough," said the superintendent,--who did not mean to
confide his thoughts to any man, or to exempt any human being from
his suspicion. The manager of the hotel was very angry, and at first
did not restrain his anger. Did not everybody know that if articles
of value were brought into an hotel they should be handed over to the
safe-keeping of the manager? He almost seemed to think that Lizzie
had stolen her own box of diamonds. "My dear fellow," said Lord
George, "nobody is saying a word against you, or your house."

"No, my lord;--but--"

"Lady Eustace is not blaming you, and do not you blame anybody else,"
said Lord George. "Let the police do what is right."

At last the men retreated, and Lizzie was left with Patience and Mrs.
Carbuncle. But even then she did not give way to her grief, but