"Yes," she assented calmly. "I made Miss Pearl confess that she was not asleep. When Eddy Vail entered the court and disappeared into the house--" "I did not disappear into the house," said the scamp, rudely. "I hid in the shadow, and watched the window to see the diamonds." "Ah! Miss Pearl lost sight of you, as you were in the shadow, no doubt," was Miss Toat's reply; "but perhaps you heard what your wife and Lady Branwin were talking about?" "I didn't gather much," said Eddy, quickly. "I saw that there were diamonds, and then ran upstairs to the still-room to alter the clock, and get ready to steal them. Badoura, as she frequently did, left the inner door open. After I left on that night she locked it again and restored the key to--" Miss Perry Toat waved her hand impatiently. "We know all about that," she said sharply. "But you"--she again addressed herself to Lady Branwin--"talked so loudly that Miss Pearl overheard your secret, and I forced her, by threatening to bring her in as an accomplice after the fact, to tell it to me." "There is no need for you to call it a secret," said Lady Branwin, quite unmoved. "You have already told Audrey that something can alter the relationship between us. I prefer to explain the matter myself since Audrey is married, and I shall see no more of her." "Oh, yes, mother, you--" "I am not your mother. You are no child of mine." Colonel Ilse leaped to his feet, greatly agitated. "Then she is--" "Yes, yes, yes!" cried Lady Branwin, impatiently. "She is your daughter!" "Elsie! Elsie!" cried the Colonel, and striding across the small room he caught the bewildered girl in his arms. "I might have guessed the truth at the first glimpse of you. You are so like your dear mother. I told you that you reminded me of one who was dear to me, and now--" "Yes, yes," murmured Audrey, feverishly. "And I thought that you reminded me of someone." "I remind you of the face you see in the glass," said the Colonel, with deep emotion. "You have my eyes, dear. Oh, my child--my darling Elsie." "Ralph! Ralph!" muttered Mrs. Shawe. "What--what"--she stretched out her hands to her equally bewildered husband--"can it be true?" "I believe it is true, Audrey--" "Elsie--Elsie!" interrupted Colonel Ilse, vehemently. "Well, then, Elsie--for the moment, at any rate," said the young husband. "I mentioned to you how impossible it was that Sir Joseph could be your father. He is not at all like you." "Neither am I," said Lady Branwin, who had been looking at the embrace of the newly-discovered father with sad and envious eyes. "But you had better restrain your emotion." She rose and crossed the room to lay her hand on Audrey's arm, and in doing so brought herself near the door. "My dear, although I am not your mother you have been very dear to me. Don't forget me entirely, my child." "No, no!" said Mrs. Shawe, much agitated. "I shall still look on you as my mother, dear Lady Branwin."