“Where did you get this?” said Nina, who felt that if she did not pretend now, all the rest of her life would be worthless to her.
“It was given to me by Brenda—oh, let me put it away—some one will come—I am frightened!”
“It’s only an old shilling thing, isn’t it?” said Josie. “Indeed not—it is real, as real can be.”
“Then why didn’t you show us the gold mark? there’s always a gold mark on real things—at least so Mademoiselle says.”
“I can—oh dear, oh dear—of course I can! but—you must come to the light.”
The three girls approached the window. They turned the bangle round and round. Alas! that curious little mark which Joe Burbery had detected under the lamp-post was nowhere to be found on the false bangle. Fanchon burst into a flood of tears.
“Some one has stolen the real bangle!—whatever am I to do?”
The two girls clustered round her. She cried a good deal; then carefully returned the bangle to its hidden place.
“I don’t know what is to be done!” she said. “It’s the most awful thing that ever happened! But my bangle that was eighteen carat gold—and there was the most lovely turquoise in it—is gone! Oh, what am I to do!”