"And the pieces, you say, were gathered together, as if someone had placed them so? Very well, I understand! Now, Ellen, have any of the other maids been upstairs to your knowledge since Mademoiselle left her room at seven o'clock?" "They say they have not, miss, for I asked them, and I've been in the kitchen all the time. We were busy clearing away after tea, and getting the refreshments ready for supper, and then we came and watched the young ladies dance." "You would have noticed if anyone had gone upstairs?" "I think I should, being together all the time. They have no work upstairs at this hour--" "I know that, but I must speak to them myself later on. There is one thing more, Ellen. Your work upstairs takes you a good time. In passing to and fro, you didn't happen to see anyone in or near Mademoiselle's room, I suppose? Speak up, please! Remember I rely upon you to do all in your power to help me to get to the bottom of this mystery!" The last words were added in a warning voice, for Ellen's start of dismay and drawn, miserable brows too plainly betrayed the truth of her mistress's surmise. "I saw--when I went up first in the middle of the dancing, I was at the end of the passage, and I saw little Miss O'Shaughnessy coming out of a room. I couldn't be sure, but I _thought_ it was Mademoiselle's!" She had said it, and in an instant every eye in the room was riveted upon Pixie, and every heart sank woefully at the sight of her crimson, agitated face. It said much for the hold which she had gained on her companions' affections that at this moment the feeling in every girl's breast was that she would prefer to find the culprit in almost any other girl in the school than in dear, loving, kind-hearted Irish Pixie. Perhaps Miss Phipps felt the same, but it did not become her to show favouritism, and her voice was very stern and cold. "Come here, Pixie, please! Stand before me! You have heard what Ellen says! Was it Mademoiselle's room out of which you were coming?" "It--was, Miss Phipps!" said Pixie, with a gulp; and a groan of dismay sounded through the room, at which Miss Phipps's eyes sent out a flashing glance. "Silence, please! Leave this to me! Was it you who let the bottle fall and broke it, then, though you would not acknowledge it when I asked just now?" Pixie's lips moved, but she seemed so paralysed with fear that she had to repeat her words twice over before they could be heard. "No, I--I didn't break it, Miss Phipps! I didn't break it!" "Do you mean to say you know nothing about it? Did you not notice it when you were in the room? May I ask what you were doing in that room at all? You had no business in there." "I--I--please, Miss Phipps, the gas was down; I didn't see anything!" "I asked you, Pixie, what you were doing in that room?"