But Miriam looked as if her passion were only glowing to more intense heat, as she stood with her arms a-kimbo, her eyes glaring, her cheeks flushed scarlet, and on her face an expression of defiance which nearly bordered on insolence. "Open it—open it—turn everything out, I insist on a thorough search!" she cried fiercely, as Caroline, trembling, brought in the box. "I shouldn't care a straw if all the world were to see what's in it!" And with her teeth rigidly set, the young maid watched the movements of her mistress, as Mrs. Mellor put the key into the lock, turned it, and then raised the lid. "I am sure that I do not doubt your honesty, Miriam; had you not insisted yourself—" began the lady, as she lightly turned over a few of the neatly packed linens and books which the box contained. She did not finish her sentence, for at the moment that she uttered the last word her hand touched a paper cutter of white metal which lay near the top of the box, and Caroline exclaimed—"That's the thing that I saw!" "This is certainly not my paper knife, though something like it, I own," said the lady, annoyed at the mistake which her housemaid had made. "Certainly it is not," muttered Miriam. "It was the parting gift of my soldier-brother before he sailed from England—and there's about as much silver in it as there is truth in her!" And she turned a withering glance on Caroline, who appeared extremely confused. "I've not a notion what has become of the knife. I've never touched it since I dusted it yesterday," said the young housemaid. Mrs. Mellor saw that a fierce storm of words was beginning again between her two servants, and was determined, if possible, to put a stop to this, at least for a time. "Caroline," she said, "I hear the house-door opened, your master has just come in, go and ask him from me whether he has ordered the fish for dinner." As soon as Caroline had quitted the kitchen, the lady said, turning to Miriam, "I can permit no high words, no quarrelling in my house; I hope that you and Caroline will make up—" Miriam had so completely lost self-control that she interrupted her mistress. "I'll not stop under the same roof with her—I'll not stop in any place where I've been suspected of stealing! I hope you'll suit yourself, ma'am, I give you warning!" cried Miriam, with passionate emotion, the hot tears rising to her eyes. "I should be sorry to part with you, Miriam; you have given much satisfaction to your master and me; I do not suspect you in the least," said the lady. But Miriam only muttered, "I'll not stop, I'll not stop!" "You had better consult your friends before you take any foolish step, which you might bitterly regret," observed Mrs. Mellor. "I've no friends in London, or anywhere else, only my soldier-brother who has lately returned from Abyssinia," said Miriam; "he is the only relation whom I have now left in the world."