“On that night—it was cloudy and dark, if you remember—Tom cut out a pane of glass from one of the area windows with a diamond he has on purpose, while I watched to see that no one was around.
“We then easily entered by that window, and made as short work as possible of clearing out everything of value that we could lay our hands on in the house.
“It was about the neatest and most profitable job that was ever done in a private house, and not a soul awoke through it all.
“There were the silver spoons and gold-lined salt-cellars, and a lot of other stuff in the china closet out of the dining-room, all clean, solid silver, too. We cracked the safe in the library, and, though we did not get much money, we got a lot of diamonds belonging to your mother, miss, like enough, and then we went upstairs to see what we could find there.
“I didn’t much mind taking the things we found below; I’d got hardened to stealing a good while before that; but when we came to your room where you lay asleep, looking so innocent and pretty, with all that soft stuff ruffled round your neck and wrists, my heart failed me, for I thought of Milly here, whom I suppose I love just as well as rich folks love their children, and I knew just how she’d have loved all the pretty things we saw laying about you. I begged Tom to leave your rings and trinkets, and knick-knacks, but he growled at my nonsense and grabbed everything he could lay his hands upon, holding the lantern and revolver all the while.
“Once I thought what should I do if you awoke and found us there. And, miss, I’d have shot him, bad as I was myself, and about as much to blame for that dirty business, before I would have let him lay so much as a finger upon you.”
The sick man was here seized with a violent fit of coughing, which so exhausted him that it was some time before he could resume his confession again.
Editha beckoned Milly to bring him some more of the warm broth, which she did, and this appearing to revive him, he was soon able to go on.
“Have you got all I have told you written down?” he asked, glancing at the paper in her lap.
“Yes, everything,” Editha answered.