“Did’na I tell ye, at he geed me receipts for ivery thing?” she replied, with much asperity; at the same time beginning to rummage her pockets. “To be sure I hey them!” she murmured; and the longer she was in finding them among the varied treasures she successively drew forth, and in her agitation alternately took from one pocket, and put into the other, the more frequently she repeated, “to be sure I hey them!” At length, with trembling hands, after frequent wiping of her spectacles, which her fast falling tears as often dimmed, she selected from the chaos a tied up parcel, containing receipts for every thing, all signed with the name of Lauson, and in a hand which was a very tolerable imitation of his. Lauson exclaimed against the daring act of forging his name; swearing that whoever had done so, should swing for it! “And as for your long story, madam,” he continued, turning to Mrs. M’Kinley, “I shall quickly prove it all a pack of lies! Here are the keys, labels and all, in my own coat-pocket,” and thence he accordingly produced them. “Now, it’s a likely story,” he continued, “if a highwayman-rascal had been able to get possession of them out of Mrs. Montgomery’s japan cabinet, at Lodore House, that he would have run the risk of putting them there again, after they had served his turn; and from thence I took them with my own hands, only three days since.” Exclamations of wonder here followed. The Earl cast a very angry glance at poor Mrs. M’Kinley. She was thunderstruck: she could not deny that those were indeed the keys, yet protested that her former statement was notwithstanding gospel truth! Affected by her tears and protestations, Julia declared her belief of poor Mrs. M’Kinley’s innocence, however inexplicable the circumstances might be.—“Well,” said the Earl, at length, “as you, who are most interested, wish it, we shall at least consider her innocent till she is proved guilty.” Mrs. M’Kinley wept like a child, fell at Julia’s feet, and begged she would miss-caw and abuse her, aw at iver she could, and no break her heart by sick goodness. When the surprise had at length a little subsided, many spacious apartments were visited; and the picture gallery in particular; which, bearing on its now naked walls the numerous traces of departed frames of various shapes and sizes, gave thus a silent and melancholy testimony of how great a loss had been sustained. Edmund reminded Lord Arandale, that a clue might be found to some useful discoveries, in what Gotterimo had said of the London swindler having sold to a friend of his, plate, pictures, coins, &c. His lordship requested the gentlemen to be present while he examined the rest of the servants. The ladies walked on towards the view-seat. CHAPTER XXII. “Oh! who can speak what all can feel!” Julia and Frances, during the straying and waiting which ensued, happened to wander into a path which separated them from the rest of the young people.