At a later hour, the stranger begged Miss Alice to give them some music; and while helping her choose a song, took the opportunity to say,—
"Are you much acquainted with the gentleman yonder calling himself Mr. Coleman?"
"Scarcely at all," she answered, in the same low tone. "He is one of my father's friends, not mine." Lie the eighth.
"I am glad to hear it," he murmured, more as if he were speaking to himself.
The next morning the servant who took care of the silver reported to Miss Saunders that three of the largest forks and a heavy gold-lined pudding spoon were missing.
The spinster's character, as housekeeper, was touched at once. She called all the servants together, and insisted upon an instant and thorough search for the missing articles, threatening, if they were not found, to deduct a sum necessary to replace them from their wages.
"I can answer, for one, that I'm innocent," said the girl who had reported the loss. "I went to the dining hall as soon as I heard the gentlemen go to the parlor, and found Miss Alice's beau there, picking up his handkerchief he said he'd dropped under the table. I began collecting the silver at once; but didn't miss anything until I had washed the forks and was counting them to put them away."
Much displeased, Miss Saunders ordered them not to give up the search; saying of course the forks are somewhere in the house; and then was returning to her chamber when her niece called out from the parlor,—
"Aunt Clarissa, have you seen my bracelet anywhere? I suppose it must have coma unclasped in the evening; for I can't find it in my room."
"What bracelet did you wear, Alice?"