"Nobody," said the maid. "You see, Lady Candling had quite a tea-party yesterday — nine or ten people altogether — and Cook and I were busy all the time. We didn't go down the garden at all between four and five o'clock, we had such a lot to do. If we had slipped down, we might have seen the thief at his work. Ah! it was a good day for the thief — with Miss Harmer out, and Tupping out, and Cook and me busy, and Lady Candling up here at the house with her friends!"
"It was," said Pip. "It looks as if the thief must have known all that too, to arrange his theft so neatly."
"That's why we think it must be Luke," said the girl. "Though I always liked Luke. A bit simple, but always very kind. And that Tupping's a perfect horror to him."
"Don't you like Tupping either?" said Bets eagerly.
"He's a rude, bad-tempered old man!" said the girl. "But don't you say I said so. Cook and me wish it had been him that took the cat. Well, I mustn't talk to you any more. You go out and find her ladyship."
Pip and Bets went into the sunny garden. "From what the maid says it's quite clear that we can cross Lady Candling, the parlourmaid, and the cook off our list of Suspects," said Pip. "Hallo! there's Miss Trimble."
Miss Trimble advanced to meet them. Bets spoke to Pip in a whisper.
"Pip! Let's count how many times her glasses fall off! They keep on doing it."
"Well, children!" said Miss Trimble in her bird-like voice, giving them a wide and toothy smile. "Are you looking for Lady Candling? I think I have seen this little girl before, haven't I? Aren't you the little girl that the strawberry runners ran away with? Oh, what a joke, ha, ha!"
She laughed, and her glasses fell off, dangling on their little chain. She put them on again.