hen of the
diamonds,--then must he be true to her. "George!" she said, and burst
into a low suppressed wailing, with her face hidden upon his arm.

"That's all very well," said he, still holding her,--for she was
pleasant to hold,--"but what the d---- is a fellow to do? I don't
see my way out of it. I think you'd better go to Camperdown, and
give them up to him, and tell him the truth." Then she sobbed more
violently than before, till her quick ear caught the sound of a
footstep on the stairs, and in a moment she was out of his arms and
seated on the sofa, with hardly a trace of tears in her eyes. It was
the footman, who desired to know whether Lady Eustace would want the
carriage that afternoon. Lady Eustace, with her cheeriest voice, sent
her love to Mrs. Carbuncle, and her assurance that she would not
want the carriage before the evening. "I don't know that you can do
anything else," continued Lord George, "except just give them up and
brazen it out. I don't suppose they'd prosecute you."

"Prosecute me!" ejaculated Lizzie.

"For perjury, I mean."

"And what could they do to me?"

"Oh, I don't know. Lock you up for five years, perhaps."

"Because I had my own necklace under the pillow in my own room?"

"Think of all the trouble you've given."

"I'll never give them up to Mr. Camperdown. They are mine;--my very
own. My cousin, Mr. Greystock, who is much more of a lawyer than Mr.
Camperdown, says so. Oh, George, do think of something! Don't tell me
that I must give them up! Wouldn't Mr. Benjamin buy them?"

"Yes;--for half nothing; and then go and tell the whole story and get
money from the other side. You can't trust Benjamin."

"But I can trust you." She clung to him and implored him, and did
get from him a renewed promise that he would not reveal her secret.
She wanted him to take the terrible packet from her there and then,
and use his own judgment in disposing of it. But this he positively
refused to do. He protested that they were safer with her than they
could be with him. He explained to her that if they were found in his
hands, his offence in having them in his possession would be much
greater than hers. They were her own,--as she was ever so ready to
assert; or if not her own, the ownership was so doubtful that she
could not be accused of having stolen them. And then he needed to
consider it all,--to sleep upon it,--before he could make up his mind
what he would do.

But there was one other trou