Mrs. Webber, as I have said, remained; but for some moments neither she nor Mrs. Lee nor her daughter spoke. Their eyes were bent upon my face, and they waited, hoping no doubt that when I aroused myself from the reverie into which I had sunk I would exhibit some sign of returning memory. I held my head down, and kept my gaze fixed upon the deck, and, rightly guessing that I would not be the first to speak, Mrs. Webber said:
‘Tell me now, has the gipsy woman helped you at all?’
I looked at her, and after a pause shook my head and answered, ‘She has not helped me in the least.’
‘What could have put the idea of your being married into the creature’s head?’ exclaimed Mrs. Lee.
‘It is a strange idea,’ said Alice, looking at me earnestly; ‘but I suppose those gipsy people understand the need of saying strange things. They cannot be too dark and mysterious and startling to please the sort of folks who cross their hands.’
‘But why should not Miss C—— be married?’ said Mrs. Webber.
‘I hope she is not—but I am sure she is not!’ exclaimed Mrs. Lee.
Mrs. Webber ran a curious eye over me, and said: ‘I had my theory, but I own the gipsy creature has driven it out of my head. Is it quite impossible, my dear Mrs. Lee, that Miss C—— may have been robbed of her rings? Why should she be found without any jewellery upon her? Your station in society is easily guessed, Miss C——, and I must say, now the gipsy woman has suggested the idea, that your having been found without rings, without a watch and chain, without earrings or brooch, without, in short, a single ornament such as one might most reasonably expect to find a lady wearing, looks uncommonly like as though you had been robbed. In which case,’ she added, somewhat breathlessly, ‘you may have worn a wedding ring.’
‘Miss C—— had a purse with money in it in her pocket,’ said Mrs. Lee, who never called me by the name her daughter had given to me before strangers. ‘A thief who would steal rings or a watch and chain would certainly steal a purse with money in it.’
‘But—forgive me for being candid, Miss C——; whatever I say, whatever I may say, is wholly for your sake—is wholly with the idea of helping you to remember,’ said Mrs. Webber; ‘is it likely that a lady occupying your position in society would be without a single ring?’ She glanced at her own plump white hands, upon which sparkled a variety of valuable gems.