nterest that
conversation, for a time almost amicable, took place between them.
"As the diamonds were so valuable, I thought it right, Aunt Susanna,
to come and tell you myself."

"It's very good of you, but I'd heard it already. I was telling Miss
Morris yesterday what very odd things there are being said about it."

"Weren't you very much frightened?" asked Lucy.

"You see, my child, I knew nothing about it till it was all over. The
man cut the bit out of the door in the most beautiful way, without my
ever hearing the least sound of the saw."

"And you that sleep so light," said the countess.

"They say that perhaps something was put into the wine at dinner to
make me sleep."

"Ah!" ejaculated the countess, who did not for a moment give up her
own erroneous suspicion;--"very likely."

"And they do say these people can do things without making the
slightest tittle of noise. At any rate, the box was gone."

"And the diamonds?" asked Lucy.

"Oh yes;--of course. And now there is such a fuss about it! The
police keep on coming to me almost every day."

"And what do the police think?" asked Lady Linlithgow. "I'm told that
they have their suspicions."

"No doubt they have their suspicions," said Lizzie.

"You travelled up with friends, I suppose."

"Oh yes,--with Lord George de Bruce Carruthers; and with Mrs.
Carbuncle,--who is my particular friend, and with Lucinda Roanoke,
who is just going to be married to Sir Griffin Tewett. We were quite
a large party."

"And Macnulty?"

"No. I left Miss Macnulty at Portray with my darling. They thought he
had better remain a little longer in Scotland."

"Ah, yes;--perhaps Lord George de Bruce Carruthers does not care for
babies. I can easily believe that. I wish Macnulty had been with
you."

"Why do you wish that?" said Lizzie, who already was beginning
to feel that the countess intended, as usual, to make herself
disagreeable.

"She's a stupid, dull, pig-headed creature; but one can believe what
she says."

"And don't you believe what I say?" demanded Lizzie.

"It's all true, no doubt, that the diamonds are gone."

"Indeed it is."

"But I don't know much about Lord George de Bruce Carruthers."

"He's the brother of a marquis, anyway," said Lizzie, who thought
that she might thus best answer the mother of a Scotch Earl.

"I remember when he was plain George Carruthers, running about the
streets of Aberdeen, and it was well with him when his shoes weren'