To do the two women justice, they really believed that the jewels had been stolen.
“Mamma, this tiara of opals, pearls, and diamonds will be just the thing for me to wear next Wednesday night at Lady Peasewell’s; see how becoming it is.” And Isabel turned from the mirror, where she had been catering to her vanity for the last half hour.
“It is lovely, my dear; but I doubt whether your father will be willing you should wear it. His ideas are peculiar, you know.”
“He won’t be here, mamma. You know he said he should not be home for a week or ten days; so he need not know anything about it.”
“I am at a loss to know whether it is best to tell him anything about this affair,” said Mrs. Coolidge, musingly.
“But what excuse will you give him for bouncing Miss Douglas?” asked Isabel, who had a taste for using slang once in a while.
“Her insolence to me ought to be a sufficient reason, I think,” her mother answered, flushing as she recalled the governess’ keen shafts and haughty manner.
“No one knows anything of the matter but you and I; why not keep still about it?” urged Isabel, eagerly.
“My only fear is, that she will take the law, as she threatened, and then your father would have to know about it. Besides, he will be very angry at the way we gained possession of them, and then there will be no end of trouble.”
She very well knew that if that day’s doings became known to her honorable husband he would insist upon her returning the casket to Miss Douglas, and tell her that she was meddling with what was none of her business.