left to the risk of an ordinary London house; but
Lizzie had felt that if Mr. Benjamin got them into his hands, Mr.
Benjamin might perhaps not return them. Messrs. Camperdown and
Garnett between them might form a league with Mr. Benjamin. Where
would she be, should Mr. Benjamin tell her that under some legal
sanction he had given the jewels up to Mr. Camperdown? She hinted
to Mr. Benjamin that she would perhaps sell them if she got a good
offer. Mr. Benjamin, who was very familiar with her, hinted that
there might be a little family difficulty. "Oh, none in the least,"
said Lizzie;--"but I don't think I shall part with them." Then she
gave Mr. Benjamin an order for a strong box, which was supplied to
her. The strong box, which was so heavy that she could barely lift it
herself, was now in her London bedroom.

On the morning of the third day she read the letter. Miss Macnulty
was staying with her, but she had not said a word to Miss Macnulty
about the letter. She read it up in her own bedroom, and then sat
down to think about it. Sir Florian, as he had handed to her the
stones for the purpose of a special dinner party which had been
given to them when passing through London, had told her that they
were family jewels. "That setting was done for my mother," he said,
"but it is already old. When we are at home again they shall be
reset." Then he had added some little husband's joke as to a future
daughter-in-law who should wear them. Nevertheless she was not sure
whether the fact of their being so handed to her did not make them
her own. She had spoken a second time to Mr. Mopus, and Mr. Mopus had
asked her whether there existed any family deed as to the diamonds.
She had heard of no such deed, nor did Mr. Camperdown mention such a
deed. After reading the letter once she read it a dozen times; and
then, like a woman, made up her mind that her safest course would be
not to answer it.

But yet she felt sure that something unpleasant would come of it. Mr.
Camperdown was not a man to take up such a question and to let it
drop. Legal steps! What did legal steps mean, and what could they do
to her? Would Mr. Camperdown be able to put her in prison,--or to
take away from her the estate of Portray? She could swear that her
husband had given them to her, and could invent any form of words
she pleased as accompanying the gift. No one else had been near them
then. But she was, and felt herself to be absolutely, alarmingly
ignorant