nt. Because I was civil enough
to you women to look after you coming up to town, and because one
of you was careless enough to lose her jewels, I--I am to be talked
about all over London as the man who took them!" This was not spoken
with much courtesy to the ladies present. Lord George had dropped
that customary chivalry of manner which, in ordinary life, makes it
to be quite out of the question that a man shall be uncivil to a
woman. He had escaped from conventional usage into rough, truthful
speech, under stress from the extremity of the hardship to which he
had been subjected. And the women understood it and appreciated it,
and liked it rather than otherwise. To Lizzie it seemed fitting that
a Corsair so circumstanced should be as uncivil as he pleased; and
Mrs. Carbuncle had long been accustomed to her friend's moods.

"They can't really think it," said Mrs. Carbuncle.

"Somebody thinks it. I am told that your particular friend, Lord
Fawn,"--this he said, specially addressing Lizzie,--"has expressed a
strong opinion that I carry about the necklace always in my pocket. I
trust to have the opportunity of wringing his neck some day."

"I do so wish you would," said Lizzie.

"I shall not lose a chance if I can get it. Before all this occurred
I should have said of myself that nothing of the kind could put me
out. I don't think there is a man in the world cares less what people
say of him than I do. I am as indifferent to ordinary tittle-tattle
as a rhinoceros. But, by George,--when it comes to stealing ten
thousand pounds' worth of diamonds, and the delicate attentions
of all the metropolitan police, one begins to feel that one is
vulnerable. When I get up in the morning, I half feel that I shall be
locked up before night, and I can see in the eyes of every man I meet
that he takes me for the prince of burglars!"

"And it is all my fault," said Lizzie.

"I wish the diamonds had been thrown into the sea," said Mrs.
Carbuncle.

"What do you think about them yourself?" asked Lucinda.

"I don't know what to think. I'm at a dead loss. You know that man
Mr. Benjamin, Lady Eustace?" Lizzie, with a little start, answered
that she did,--that she had had dealings with him before her
marriage, and had once owed him two or three hundred pounds. As the
man's name had been mentioned, she thought it better to own as much.
"So he tells me. Now, in all London, I don't suppose there is a
greater rascal than Benjamin."

"I di