o seemed hardly to scruple
at showing that he thought that Benjamin and I were confederates. Mr.
Camperdown has offered four hundred pounds reward for the jewels,--to
be paid on their surrender to the hands of Mr. Garnett, the jeweller.
Gager declared that, if any ordinary thief had them, they would be
given up at once for that sum."

"That's true, I suppose," said Mrs. Carbuncle.

"How would the ordinary thief get his money without being detected?
Who would dare to walk into Garnett's shop with the diamonds in
his hands and ask for the four hundred pounds? Besides, they have
been sold to some one,--and, as I believe, to my dear friend, Mr.
Benjamin. 'I suppose you ain't a-going anywhere just at present, Lord
George?' said that fellow Gager. 'What the devil's that to you?' I
asked him. He just laughed and shook his head. I don't doubt but
that there's a policeman about waiting till I leave this house;--or
looking at me now with a magnifying glass from the windows at the
other side. They've photographed me while I'm going about, and
published a list of every hair on my face in the 'Hue and Cry.' I
dined at the club yesterday, and found a strange waiter. I feel
certain that he was a policeman done up in livery all for my sake.
I turned sharp round in the street yesterday, and found a man at a
corner. I am sure that man was watching me, and was looking at my
pockets to see whether the jewel case was there. As for myself, I can
think of nothing else. I wish I had got them. I should have something
then to pay me for all this nuisance."

"I do wish you had," said Lizzie.

"What I should do with them I cannot even imagine. I am always
thinking of that, too,--making plans for getting rid of them,
supposing I had stolen them. My belief is, that I should be so
sick of them that I should chuck them over the bridge into the
river,--only that I should fear that some policeman's eye would be on
me as I did it. My present position is not comfortable,--but if I had
got them, I think that the weight of them would crush me altogether.
Having a handle to my name, and being a lord, or, at least, called a
lord, makes it all the worse. People are so pleased to think that a
lord should have stolen a necklace."

Lizzie listened to it all with a strange fascination. If this strong
man were so much upset by the bare suspicion, what must be her
condition? The jewels were in her desk up-stairs, and the police had
been with her also,--were e