“La! to be sure--I suppose so--of course it was shaken, as every thing else in the room was, a hundred times over: the toilette and mamma’s petticoats even, and cloak, and gloves, as I told you.” “Yes, but the muff, did your ladyship examine it yourself?” “Did I examine it? I don’t recollect. No, indeed, after the aether, how could I touch it? you know: but of course it was shaken, it was examined, I am sure; but really I know nothing about it--but this, that it could not possibly be in it, the ring, I mean, because mamma had her glove on.” I requested permission to see the muff. “Oh, mamma was forced to give it away because of the horrid smell--she bid Fowler take it out of the room that minute, and never let it come near her again; but if you want to see it, ring for Fowler: you can examine it as much as you please; depend upon it the ring’s no more there than I am--send for Fowler and Nancy, and they can tell you how we shook every thing to no purpose. The ring’s gone, and so am I, for Colonel Topham’s waiting, and I must lead off.” And away her ladyship tripped, flirting her perfumed fan as she went. Persisting in my wish to see the muff, Lady de Brantefield desired me to ring for Fowler. Her ladyship wondered, she said, how I could, after the reasons she had given me for her being morally certain that she had left the ring with Jacob, and after Lady Anne had justly remarked that the ring could not get through her glove, entertain a hope of finding it in such a ridiculous place as a muff. But since I was so possessed with this idea, the muff should be produced--there was nothing like ocular demonstration in these cases, except internal conviction: “Did you ring, Mr. Harrington?” “I did.” And Miss Nancy with the treble ruffles in her hand now appeared. “‘Tis your mother, child, I want,” said Lady de Brantefield. “Yes, my lady, she is only just finished assisting to lay out the ball supper.” “But I want her--directly.” “Certainly, my lady, directly.” “And bid her bring--” A whisper from me to my mother, and from my mother to her ladyship, failed of effect: after turning half round, as if to ask me what I said--a look which did not pass unnoticed by Miss Nancy--her ladyship finished her sentence--“And tell Fowler I desire she will bring me the muff that I gave her last week--the day I lost my ring.” This message would immediately put Fowler upon her guard, and I was at first sorry that it had been so worded; but I recollected having heard an eminent judge, a man of great abilities and experience, say, that if he were called upon to form a judgment of any character, or to discover the truth in any case, he would rather that the persons whom he was to examine were previously put on their guard, than that they were not; for that he should know, by what they guarded, of what they were afraid.