n such as to justify the suspicions of the
police. "Of course, we all suspect her," said Lady Glencora; "and,
of course, we suspect Lord George too, and Mrs. Carbuncle and Miss
Roanoke. But then, you know, if I were to lose my diamonds, people
would suspect me just the same,--or perhaps Plantagenet. It is so
delightful to think that a woman has stolen her own property, and
put all the police into a state of ferment." Lord Chiltern declared
himself to be heartily sick of the whole subject; and Mr. Grey, who
was a very just man, suggested that the evidence, as yet, against
anybody, was very slight. "Of course, it's slight," said Lady
Glencora. "If it were more than slight, it would be just like any
other robbery, and there would be nothing in it." On the same morning
Mrs. Bonteen received a second letter from her friend Mrs. Rutter.
The Tewett marriage had been certainly broken off. Sir Griffin had
been very violent, misbehaving himself grossly in Mrs. Carbuncle's
house, and Miss Roanoke had declared that under no circumstances
would she ever speak to him again. It was Mrs. Rutter's opinion,
however, that this violence had been "put on" by Sir Griffin, who
was desirous of escaping from the marriage because of the affair of
the diamonds. "He's very much bound up with Lord George," said Mrs.
Rutter, "and is afraid that he may be implicated."

"In my opinion he's quite right," said Lord Fawn.

All these matters were told to the duke by Lady Glencora and Madame
Goesler in the recesses of his grace's private room; for the duke
was now infirm, and did not dine in company unless the day was
very auspicious to him. But in the evening he would creep into the
drawing-room, and on this occasion he had a word to say about the
Eustace diamonds to every one in the room. It was admitted by them
all that the robbery had been a godsend in the way of amusing the
duke. "Wouldn't have her boxes searched, you know," said the duke;
"that looks uncommonly suspicious. Perhaps, Lady Chiltern, we shall
hear to-morrow morning something more about it."

"Poor dear duke," said Lady Chiltern to her husband.

"Doting old idiot!" he replied.

CHAPTER XLVIII

Lizzie's Condition

When such a man as Barrington Erle undertakes to send information
to such a correspondent as Lady Glencora in reference to such a
matter as Lady Eustace's diamonds, he is bound to be full rather
than accurate. We may say, indeed, that perfect accuracy would be
d