CHAPTER VIII
DISCOVERY
It was a month now since Margaret's necklace had disappeared, and she had almost given up hope of its recovery. Mrs. Medhurst still advised her to continue the search, but to refrain from troubling Mr. Medhurst, as he had so many business worries, and would, she felt sure, be upset by the loss.
"Of course, it is wiser to keep the matter from the children; they can know nothing about it. I have always trusted Betsy and James, they are such old servants, and nothing of the kind has ever happened before. I have questioned them, dear Miss Woodford. We must both watch and wait; still, somehow I feel sure you will recover the jewels. I still think you must have mislaid them. I feel so worried about your loss, I believe I could find it." So she had argued.
Margaret smiled at the suggestion of her having put the necklace away and overlooked it. She had searched her boxes more than once, and turned out all her drawers, and now, anxious to soothe Mrs. Medhurst's anxiety, she promised to go over them all again.
It was Monday evening, Ellice was in bed, and Mr. Medhurst had not yet returned from a day in town, and Margaret (deciding it would be very comfortable to take a book and read in her own domain) went upstairs determined to have an extra rest. She passed Mrs. Medhurst's room on her way, and as she did so a slight sound attracted her attention.
To her amazement she saw the flash of an electric light, and then caught sight of a figure bending over the dressing-table and evidently gazing intently at something she held in her left hand, while with the right she concentrated the beam from her torch upon the object of interest.
Margaret stood silently watching for a few moments, petrified with astonishment as she perceived what it was the light was concentrated upon.
There was no mistaking her employer's beautiful figure. The door was wide open, and the girl was unnoticed by the occupant of the room, who was apparently so absorbed she did not notice the light tread as Margaret suddenly advanced to her side. The room was partly drowned in shadow, but a bright beam of moonlight lit up the two, the one so unconscious of the other's presence. Then a sharp cry burst involuntarily from Margaret's lips as she darted forward and caught Mrs. Medhurst's wrist in a firm grasp.
"You—you!" she exclaimed, almost a ring of anguish in the indignant tones of her voice.