The two had rooms upon the same floor, and it would, therefore, be easy to slip into Ben's chamber and leave it somewhere about.
Now, it chanced that Susan, the chambermaid, was about, though Conrad did not see her, when he carried out his purpose, and, instigated by curiosity, she peeped through the half-open door, and saw him place the ticket on the bureau.
Wondering what it was, she entered the room after Conrad had vacated it, and found the ticket Conrad had placed there.
Susan knew what a pawnbroker's ticket was, and read it with curiosity.
She saw that it was made out to Ben Barclay.
"How, then, did Master Conrad get hold of it?" she said to herself. "It's my belief he's trying to get Master Ben into trouble. It's a shame, it is, for Master Ben is a gentleman and he isn't."
Between the two boys, Susan favored Ben, who always treated her with consideration, while Conrad liked to order about the servants, as if they were made to wait upon him.
After Conrad had disposed of the pawn ticket, he said carelessly to his mother:
"Mother, if I were you, I'd look into Ben's room. You might find the opera glass there."
"I don't think he'd leave it there. He would pawn it."