“I can’t until I have put all this plate tidy.”
“Oh, bother the plate,” said Hester. “Can’t you come at once?—the chance may go.”
“I can come all the sooner if you’ll help me,” said Jacob. “You can wash while I polish. Now then, two pair of hands are better than one.”
“That they are,” said Hester, delighted. She put the key on the shelf by her side, and helped Jacob to wash up the plate.
With a sudden dexterous turn of his hand and a flick of the leather with which he was polishing a valuable tray, Jacob contrived to slip the key into his own pocket. Hester, quick as she was, did not see the movement.
After a time the plate was all in order, and the footman announced to the lady’s maid that he was at her service.
Hester began to look for the key—she looked on the shelf where she had placed it, she looked on the floor, she felt her pockets and shook out her apron, but all in vain. Jacob helped her in her search with assiduity. He appeared as anxious and annoyed as she was. Footsteps were heard approaching before any solution of the difficulty was arrived at, and Hester, knowing that her opportunity for that evening was gone, bade Jacob a reluctant good-night.
“What am I to do?” she said as she was parting from him. “If I lose that key Leah will give it to me—it opens the little postern gate into the garden, and Leah never knew that I took it. I took it yesterday, for I thought I’d like to show you the Queen Anne wing and the garden, Mr. Jacob.”
“And I am sure I am much obliged to you,” replied Jacob. “We’ll have a good look for the key the first thing in the morning.”
Hester was obliged to be satisfied, and when she departed Jacob softly patted the key which lay in his trousers pocket.