ds.
Probably he did not; and you mistook him as you have mistaken me. But I
am really tired of being so cross-questioned, Rose. Look me in the face,
and tell me whether you really believe me to be guilty or not?" he said,
in his most frank and persuasive manner.

"Na, na, I canna believe ony ill o' ye, Johnnie Scott," replied the girl.

And, in fact, the man had such magnetic power over her that he could make
her believe anything that he wished.

"Now let us look into this satchel," he said, proceeding to open it.

He took out the bags of money.

"There is one bag gone! fifty pounds gone!" he exclaimed.

"Na, that canna be, gin it was in the bag. I hanna opened it ance," said
the girl, unhesitatingly.

The man paid no attention to her words, but took out the jewels and began
to examine them.

"Confound it! The watch and chain are gone, and the solitaire diamond
ring is gone, and--" here the man broke out into a volley of curses
forcible enough to right a ship in a storm, and said: "The jewel
snuff-box, worth ten times all the other jewels put together, is gone!
How is this, Rose?"

"I dinna ken. How suld I ken? I took the bag frae your hands, and I put
it back intil your hands, e'en just as I took it, without ever once
seeing the inside o' it," boldly replied the girl.

A volley of curses from the man followed, and then he inquired:

"Was the bag out of your possession at any time since you received it?"

"Na, not ance."

"Then that infernal valet has taken the lion's share of the prog! I
wish I had him by the throat!" exclaimed the man, with a torrent of
imprecations.

"What do ye mean by a' that?" inquired Rose.

"I mean, that servant I believed in has robbed me, that is all," said the
man.

With her recovered spirits Rose had regained her appetite. She now rang
the bell loudly.

The housekeeper answered it.

"_Is_ breakfast ready?" inquired the hungry creature.

"Yes, madam; and I will put in on the table just as soon as you are ready
for it," answered the old woman.

"Put it on now, then," replied the girl.

The housekeeper left the room.

Rose made a hasty toilet while her husband was washing the railway dust
from his face and head.

And then both went into the adjoining parlor, where the morning meal was
by this time laid.

After breakfast the man went out.

The woman remained in the house. She was in a very unenviable state of
mind. She was not yet quite easy on the subject of th