“I really can’t find it,” said Annie after a moment’s pause. “Do come and look yourself, May. Are you dazed? Have you lost your senses? Oh, I know, poor darling May! it is sorrow at parting with poor little me.—Parker, Miss Mabel just adores me; don’t you, precious one! Well, well, Parker will do all she can for you when I am gone.”
“I can’t take your place, Miss Brooke. I am really sorry you have to go.—But now, Miss Mabel, the best thing to do is just to empty the lid of the trunk. We’ll get to the box that way without disarranging all your pretty things.”
The lid of the trunk was speedily emptied, and of course no necklace was found.
“There!” said Annie. Her heart was beating so fast that the pallor of her face was far from assumed. The fear in her eyes, too, seemed only too natural.
“Some one has stolen it!” she said to Parker. She clasped the woman’s arm. “What are we to do?”
Parker looked distinctly annoyed. Mabel stood stonily silent, apparently almost indifferent.
“Miss Lushington,” said the woman—“do wake up and consider, miss. Perhaps you didn’t put it into the lid of the trunk; perhaps you put the box that held the necklace somewhere else.”
“No, I didn’t; I put it into the lid,” said Mabel. “I won’t say I put it anywhere else; the lid will do; I put it there. I won’t be bothered about it!”
She marched out of the room, got as far as the wide landing, and burst out crying. Her queer conduct and queer words terrified Annie and amazed Parker.