“I’m afeared yer couldn’t,” said the burglar, regretfully, “but I’ll try yer. Lord Halgernon Hedward Halbert de Pentonwille, YdePark. Can you think o’ that?”
“Are you a lord?” exclaimed Editha. “Dear me, how strange!”
“It is sing’lar,” said the burglar, shaking his head. “I’ve hoften thought so myself. But not wishin’ to detain a lady no longer than can be ’elped, s’pose we take a turn in the lib’ery among yer respected par’s things.”
“Don’t make a noise,” said Editha, as she led the way.
But when they reached the library her loving little heart failed her. All the things her father valued most were there, and he would be sure to be so sorry if one thing was missing when he returned. She stood on the threshold a moment and looked about her.
“Oh,” she whispered, “please do me another favor, wont you? Please let me slip quietly upstairs and bring down my own things instead. They will be so easy to carry away, and they are very valuable, and—and I will make you a present of them if you will not touch anything that belongs to papa. He is so fond of his things and, besides that, he is so good.”
The burglar gave a rather strange and disturbed look at her.
“Go an’ get yer gimcracks,” he said in a somewhat grumbling voice.
Editha came slowly down the staircase with her treasures.