But the girl wondered at the stern voice and changed manner.
Mrs. Beach rang the bell, and when it was answered by the housemaid, she said, "Send Margery Grayling to me, if Miss Raye can spare her for a few minutes."
Mabel was just going to leave the room, but her aunt said, "Don't go, Mabel. You have been laying this sin to the girl's charge; now you must accuse her to her face. It is only fair to Margery."
"You have more consideration for that shameless creature than for your own niece," said Mabel angrily.
But Mrs. Beach made no answer to this, and after a few minutes' silence, Margie entered.
"Good morning, Margery," said her mistress kindly. "Miss Mabel tells me she misses a diamond ring, and as the rest of the household have been with us so long as to be quite above suspicion, her fear is that you may perhaps have been tempted into taking it."
"I have not taken the ring," replied Margie quietly. "I am incapable of doing such a thing."
"So you say," put in Mabel spitefully; "but people who can steal, can generally lie too."
The hot, indignant blood surged into poor Margie's face, and she looked appealingly at her mistress.
"Mabel," said the old lady sternly, "I cannot have you speak thus to any one in my house. And until you have proved, to my entire satisfaction, that Margery is guilty of this crime, you will please be good enough to treat her as the innocent girl I believe her to be."