The Lost Lady of LoneSouthworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
General
The Lost Lady of Lone
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
Fiction
When asked how this property came into her possession, she said she had
picked up the watch and chain found upon her person, on the sidewalk, on
Westminster Road, where she supposed the owner must have dropped it, and
as she did not know who the owner might be, she had kept it, to her
sorrow. But as for the gold snuff-box and the solitaire diamond ring, she
did not know anything about them; she had never seen them in her life,
until they were drawn out of the hollow cornice by Inspector Pryor, and
where they must have been hidden by somebody else.
This explanation was not received. And before the morning was over, Rose
Cameron was remanded to her cell in the police station-house to wait
until she could be taken back to Scotland for trial.
When she reached her cell, she gave herself up to a passion of hysterical
weeping and sobbing.
She was interrupted by a visit from her friendly housekeeper.
"My poor, dear, injured lady, I was here early this morning to see you,
but could not get in," said the woman, after the first exciting greetings
were over.
"Sit ye down. Dinna staund, and tire yersel'," said the poor creature,
glad to see any familiar face.
"Oh, my good young lady, you were always very kind to me. And I never can
believe as you've had anything to do with what you are accused of," said
the good woman, weeping.
"And sae I hadna. I dinna ken onything anent it. As for yon braw boxie, I
ne'er set een on it, na, nor the fine ring, till the policeman pu'ed it
doon frae the tap o' the window curtain. And the fine watch, they fund on
me, and said belongit to Sir Lemuel Levison; that watch waur gied to me
by a gude freend," said Rose, wiping the great tears from her stormy
eyes.
"I will believe it, my good young lady. I can very well believe it. I see
how you have been imposed upon by bad people; but do you keep a stiff
upper lip, madam, and don't be in no ways cast down, and your innercence
will come like pure gold from the furniss, as the saying is. And now, my
dear young lady, I have some news for you, as will help to divert your
mind from your troubles, I hope," said the well-meaning woman,
soothingly.
"Is it about Johnnie Scott? Is it about my gude mon?" eagerly inquired
Rose.
"No, my dear young lady, it is not about him. You remember the marriage
that was broken off, for the time between the young Marquis of Arondelle
and the heiress of Lone?"
"Yes! broken off by the murder of the bride's feyther, the nicht before
the wedding day--the murder o' Sir Lemuel Levison, wi' whilk I now staund
accusit. Ou, aye, I mind it! I am na likely to forget it!" sharply
answered Rose Cameron.
"Well, my dear young lady, the marriage is on again."
"_Eh!_" exclaimed Rose Cameron, springing up.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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