"The caretaker of the hall found it late last night. I had seen him and told him of Celia's loss, so he made a careful search and discovered the brooch on the floor under a chair near the door through which we left the hall, and being an honest man, he brought it to me the first thing this morning; It was he I was called out to see just now." Mr. Tillotson did not say he had rewarded the caretaker handsomely for the return of the jewel; he had been only too delighted to do so. "You are indeed fortunate, Celia," he told her. "I confess I never thought you would get your brooch again."
"Oh, how glad I am! How glad I am!" Celia cried, ecstatically. "Oh, Mr. Tillotson, Uncle Jasper need not be told now that I lost it, need he? You won't say anything about it, will you?" she pleaded, coaxingly.
"Why should you mind?" he asked in surprise. "I suppose you are afraid he will think you were to blame, eh? Well, no, I won't tell him—on one consideration."
"And that?" Celia questioned anxiously.
"That you refrain from wearing the brooch till you are older."
"Oh, I promise you that! I never wish to wear it again—never! I—I will let uncle Jasper keep it for me."
"Not at all a bad plan. I know little girls are fond of jewellery," he said, with a smiling glance at his daughter, "but you are too young to wear such a valuable ornament as that diamond brooch. I advise you to do as you say, and when you return to the Moat House give it to Sir Jasper, or to your mother, to keep for you."
"I will give it to Uncle Jasper," Celia rejoined decidedly, reflecting how wonderfully things were being put straight for her. "I —I'm afraid I've made a lot of trouble for you," she continued, hesitatingly, "but, indeed I couldn't help it."
He answered her reassuringly, and bade her put the butterfly brooch away at once. She ran upstairs and hid it, as before, at the bottom of her box, her heart fluttering with joy; her drooping spirits quite revived.
During the day she tried to extract a promise from Lulu to the effect that she would not mention the loss of the brooch to anyone; but Lulu stubbornly declined to pass her word.