Before her husband could reply there came a knock at the door, and immediately afterwards a stolid young man in livery entered. Walter slipped past him and got out of the room, while the man waited for his mistress to address him. "Yes?" said Mrs. Fane interrogatively. "If you please, ma'am, the cook have gone mad," said the stolid man. "Really?" rejoined Mrs. Fane, letting her knitting fall on her lap, but otherwise undisturbed. "And what form does her madness take?" "She says she's going to retire on a fortune, and insists, ma'am, on coming upstairs to tell you. I think, ma'am----" The man hesitated. "Yes," said Mrs. Fane calmly; "I quite understand. This is the third time she has indulged, and after assuring me that she had taken the pledge. Send her up." "You will excuse me, ma'am, but cook really have found jewels." "What do you mean?" This time Mrs. Fane really was amazed. "She have found jewels in the dust-hole," stammered the man, and would have gone on to explain, but that he was roughly brushed aside by a large female clothed in purple silk of a cheap sort, with a black velvet cloak trimmed with beads, and a bonnet profusely trimmed with flowers. Her face was red, and her air was that of an excited person. This was due partly to drink and partly to excitement, and partly to a sense of fear at thus braving her mistress, of whom she had a great dread. The moment she entered the room the footman departed hastily, thinking there would be a row. He went down to the kitchen, and found the rest of the servants much excited. It seemed that the cook really had some cause for her behaviour. At the present moment she was explaining herself to Mrs. Fane. "If you please, mum, I wish to leave this day--this hour--this minute," panted the cook all in a breath; "my boxes being packed and my best clothes being on." "Indeed!" Mrs. Fane eyed the splendour with a look which made the cook wince. "I am afraid you can't leave. You get no wages if you do. Go downstairs." "But I don't care for my wages. Far be it from me to rob you, mum. I am as rich as you, having found a forting in the dust-hole." "Really! May I ask what it is?" "You'll take it from me, mum," said the cook mistrustfully. If you don't show it to me at once, Gander--this was the cook's unusual name--"I shall send for the police." "O mum, think of the scandal. I won't----" then Gander caught the steady eyes fixed on her. The drink and the excitement were dying out under the chilling influence of Mrs. Fane's calmness, and the cook collapsed. "It's this, mum," and from under the cloak she brought forth a dagger with a slim steel blade and a hilt of gold richly encrusted with jewels. These flashed red and blue and green and yellow in the stream of sunlight that shone through the window. Minnie caught a sight of the glitter and clapped her hands. "Yes, my pretty," said the cook proudly, "it's lovely, ain't it. And all my own, having been found by me in the dust-hole."