"Isn't it the most fascinating thing—this sapphire signet business?" exclaimed Corinne, at last. "I can just imagine how the poor girl felt. She hadn't meant any harm in taking it—it had seemed perfectly right. And then her conscience got to troubling her till she hadn't a peaceful minute! But where in the world could she have hidden it? Does it tell later on, Margaret?"
"Not that I've discovered as yet, but there are a lot of other interesting things—"
"Go on, go on then!" chorused the waiting three, impatient of anything that broke the thread of the story.
"Well, the next seems to be written some time later, but I can't tell how much. This is something like a diary, only she doesn't put down any dates. She just seems to leave spaces between the different entries. It's kind of confusing. Now she says:
"A strange thing happened last night. At midnight I awoke. I heard confused sounds on the road without. Carts creaking by, men shouting and calling, women crying, and children screaming as with fright. The sounds continued till near morning. An endless procession of carts and coaches. 'Twould seem as though the whole city were in flight. 'Twas odd to hear so much racket in this quiet region.
"To-day the whole household is in agitation. Fear seems to have seized on all. The servants are in a panic. Only the steward seems undisturbed. Madame M. is calm in manner, but I can see that she is much perturbed inwardly."
"What in the world could have been happening?" demanded Bess. "She speaks of the 'city.' I wonder what city, and what was the matter? Why should every one be leaving it?"
"I've been thinking all along that she was somewhere in England," suggested Corinne, "though I can't imagine what part. Anyway—"
"Wait!" cried Margaret. "Why don't you let me go on?"
"That's so!" agreed Corinne. "It's foolish not to see what's coming before we try to make sense of it. Go on!"