"He says, I tell you, that he forgot all about the desk and its secret compartment. But, Frank, we cannot remedy the omission if we talk of it for ever; what I wanted to ascertain from you is, whether you remember where you left the desk."
"No, that I don't. I remember turning the bills and papers out of it wholesale, and carrying them into the room where Mrs. Raynor was sitting. As to the desk, I suppose it remained upon the table."
"You are sure you emptied it of all the papers?"
"Quite sure," replied Frank. "I turned the desk upside down and shook the papers out, and saw that the desk was quite empty."
"Kate says she saw you do it. But she does not recollect what became of the desk."
"Neither do I. No doubt it was left in the room. I dare say it still remained there when you all came away from the house."
"Well, it cannot be found," concluded Edina. "I think the probability is, that the desk was packed up by the servants and brought away in one of the large boxes, and was lost in the fire. If it had remained at Eagles' Nest, it would no doubt be there still?"
"Then I suppose they will never find the lost money as long as oak and ash grow," observed Frank. "It is a very unsatisfactory thing. George Atkinson ought to have remembered and spoken in time."
He was called away into the surgery, and Edina began to retie her bonnet-strings. Daisy had picked up some crochet-work.
"Why don't you take your bonnet off, Edina, and stay?"