"Oh, it's plain enough, of course. I haven't a doubt about it. But I thought you meant that there was some doubt."
"No. I only meant there might have been, if she hadn't taken the star. Of course, what she did was to get rid of those pearls as well as her own. She hasn't known which way to turn for money for ever so long. She went out of favour in that quarter a couple of years ago, or more."
"Did she make any attempt to get her story backed up?"
"Moved heaven and earth, but found the doors shut. She found herself up against the police over there. They told her that if she dared to whisper such a story she would get into more serious trouble than she was in already. She's got pluck, you know. She must have seen it was no good, but she was in a royal rage, and made her people bring it up, out of spite. They say there were hints given; but I doubt that—in a court of law. Anyhow, they wouldn't have it, and it didn't do her any good."
"Well, it's a most unsavoury story altogether," said the Squire. "The woman's in prison now, and she richly deserves it."
He and Dick discussed the matter for another hour, and when the Squire was helped up to bed he repeated his injunctions to Mrs. Clinton that it was not to be mentioned in the house again.