"There!" said Lyddy yawning, when their guests had departed; "I thought they were never going. Isn't it comical to see what a fuss George always makes over poor Aunt Lyddy? I declare I believe he'll end by marrying that kind of simple, meek woman, though he flirts with the go-ahead ones."
"I wish he would!" said George's mother. "Your Aunt Lyddy is a good woman—a much better woman than I am; though I must own," she added, with an inflection of voice that was very like her son's, "that I believe that's partly because she's too stupid to be anything else. But George would be very kind to a——"
"To a good little fool!" said Lyddy. "I really think he would. Well, are you coming to bed?"
"Presently," said Mrs. Sauls. But when Lyddy had gone, she went down to the smoking room.
"Ah! I thought your curiosity wouldn't keep till the morning!" cried George, when she opened the door.
"My dear! You've found the diamonds! Where are they?"
He stretched out his hand, the locket lying on his palm face upwards. "In my hands," he said.
"And where were they, George?"
"In that saint's!" He laughed, and laid it down on the table. "Mother! you and I were too charitable; we thought he would draw the line at that."
He told her the whole story then, walking up and down the room while he talked. He was very triumphant, and slightly flushed; she could have fancied he had been drinking just enough to elate him, but that George never drank; and, in spite of the triumph, the old woman's heart ached for him.