"I am staying with your aunt for a few months,—as her companion. Is it true, Lizzie, that all your diamonds have been stolen?" Lizzie gave an account of the robbery, true in every respect, except in regard to the contents of the box. Poor Lizzie had been wronged in that matter by the countess, for the robbery had been quite genuine. The man had opened her room and taken her box, and she had slept through it all. And then the broken box had been found, and was in the hands of the police, and was evidence of the fact.
"People seem to think it possible," said Lizzie, "that Mr. Camperdown the lawyer arranged it all." As this suggestion was being made Lady Linlithgow came in, and then Lizzie repeated the whole story of the robbery. Though the aunt and niece were open and declared enemies, the present circumstances were so peculiar and full of interest 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.