ands, madam."

Lady de Clare covered up her face. "God forgive him!" said she, in a low
voice.

"Lady de Clare, upon what terms were your husband and the late Sir Henry?
It is important to know."

"Not on the very best, sir. Indeed, latterly, for years, they never met
or spoke: we did not know what had become of him."

"Were there any grounds for ill-will?"

"Many, sir, on the part of the elder brother; but none on that of Sir
Henry, who was treated with every kindness, until he--" Lady de Clare
stopped--"until he behaved very ill to him."

As we afterwards discovered, Henry de Clare had squandered away the small
portion left him by his father, and had ever after that been liberally
supplied by his eldest brother, until he had attempted to seduce Lady de
Clare, upon which he was dismissed for ever.

"And now, madam, I must revert to a painful subject. You had a daughter
by your marriage?"

"Yes," replied the lady, with a deep sigh.

"How did you lose her? Pray do not think I am creating this distress on
your part without strong reasons."

"She was playing in the garden, and the nurse, who thought it rather
cold, ran in for a minute to get a handkerchief to tie round her neck.
When the nurse returned, the child had disappeared." Lady de Clare put
her handkerchief up to her eyes.

"Where did you find her afterwards?"

"It was not until three weeks afterwards that her body was found in a
pond about a quarter of a mile off."

"Did the nurse not seek her when she discovered that she was not in
the garden?"

"She did, and immediately ran in that direction. It is quite strange
that the child could have got so far without the nurse perceiving her."

"How long is it ago?"

"It is now nine years."

"And the age of the child at the time?"

"About six years old."

"I think, Newland, you may now speak to Lady de Clare."

"Lady de Clare, have you not a pair of ear-rings of coral and gold of
very remarkable workmanship?"

"I have, sir," replied she, with surprise.

"Had you not a necklace of the same? and if so, will you do me the
favour to examine this?" I presented the necklace.

"Merciful heaven!" cried Lady de Clare, "it is the very necklace!--it
was on my poor Cecilia when she was drowned, and it was not found with
the body. How came it into your possession, sir? At one time," continued
Lady de Clare, weeping, "I thought that it was possible that the
temptation of the necklace, which has a great dea