The woman was making heroic efforts to be calm, but it seemed as if she might either faint or go into hysterics at any moment.
Was she playing a game that was too hard for her?
That was the question for Nick to answer; and yet, when he looked at this gentle, refined woman, he hardly had the heart to suspect her of any dishonesty.
"I will show you the jewels," she said, struggling to command her voice, "you can then see whether they are all here."
Her trembling hands could hardly find the string which was tied about the box.
While she pulled at it she kept talking as if she must do it to relieve her overburdened mind. She described the articles of jewelry which were in the box.
"They are the very ones," said the colonel.
As he uttered the words the string was loosened, and the cover fell off the box.
There was a sharp cry. It came from Mrs. Pond, who, with Horace, had approached during this scene.
"Why, there's one of my diamond pins!" she exclaimed. "How on earth did it come to be there?"