"Well, perhaps you heard something else or you noticed something else. Were you sitting in the garden of the Hotel Belle Vue just before _dejeuner_ on the day that you and I left Interlaken?" "Yes," said Priscilla. "I remember quite well now," considered the old man, "that I noticed you from where I myself was sitting on the terrace. I saw Miss Brooke go up to you, and presently you went away. Then I joined Miss Brooke." "Yes," said Priscilla. "You have not the least idea what occurred, have you, Priscilla, when Miss Brooke and I were alone?" "I have not the faintest idea," said Priscilla. "Well, I will tell you," said the old man. He crossed the room as he spoke, opened the door, and went out, but presently returned with something in his hand. This something he laid on the table before Priscilla. "Have you ever seen that before?" "Never," said Priscilla. "It is rather pretty." "It is a valuable old ornament," said Mr Manchuri. "It was bought at Zick's shop in the High Street at Interlaken. I gave Annie Brooke one hundred pounds for it." "Mr Manchuri!" "She told me it was her own, and asked if I would buy it. I knew it was worth a good deal more than the sum I paid her; now it seems that she took me in, I have purchased Lady Lushington's necklace; it never belonged to Annie Brooke. What is to be done?" Priscilla sat, white as death, with her hands clasped before her. "Did you ever," she said at last after a very long pause, "notice in all your knowledge of mankind how from the beginning of a little act of deceit great and awful things take place? If I had not yielded to a temptation which was put before me at Mrs Lyttelton's school, Annie would never have been a thief; there would have been no need--no need! Mr Manchuri, I feel that I am responsible for this." "Nothing of the kind, child. Please don't take on in that way! It is too dreadful to hear you." Priscilla's lips trembled. "We must, we must save Annie Brooke," she said. "She is in trouble. Her uncle is dead; she has no home any longer. Oh, Mr Manchuri, for the sake of your Esther, don't be too hard on her!" "I am just mad with rage," said the old jeweller. "There are some things I can stand, but not deceit." "You can stand me," said Priscilla very gently, "and yet I was deceitful." "You have repented, child; and you are going to do all in your power to show that your repentance is real. I will not have you and Annie Brooke spoken of on the same footing. I cannot bear it, Priscilla." "You will be kind to her," repeated Priscilla.