The flowers had lost their perfume--the music its divine
influence. Yet, with the serpent of remorse and anguish gnawing at her
heart, she was forced to smile and seem happy and at ease. A half hour
passed in this way seemed an age of torture; and when the messenger
despatched by her husband had returned and summoned them again to the
library, it gave her inexpressible relief.

"O, Mr. Sandford!" she exclaimed to the jeweller, who was now added to
the party, "how happy I am to see you! There is your casket--and here
are your diamonds!" and she tore the jewels from her neck, ears, and
wrists, and offered them to the jeweller.

"Madam," said the jeweller, gravely, after having examined the gems,
"these are not the articles I furnished you. I lent you a set of
diamonds--these are paste!"

"What is the meaning of this?" asked the broker sternly.

"I know not. I cannot explain. O, Luke! Luke! I am innocent!" and Mrs.
Brandon sunk fainting into a chair.

When she had recovered her senses, Mr. Brandon asked,--

"Did you make this arrangement in person?"

"No," she replied; "it was through the mediation of Mr. Charmant."

"Let's send for him," said Merton.

"Stay," said the broker; "an idea has occurred to me. I have observed
at times that this Monsieur Charmant had a good deal to say to your
French page, my good lady."

"It was he that recommended Claude," said Mrs. Brandon.

"Then we will have Claude before us," said the broker.

Claude soon made his appearance.

"Claude," said Mrs. Brandon, "do you know any thing about this casket
of jewels?"

The boy changed color, but shook his head.

"Now, my Christian friend," said the broker, "you need not tell us
what you know about the jewels, if you are unwilling; but in case of
your refusal, I shall send for a police officer, who will,
undoubtedly, drum the whole affair out of you."

The threat had the desired effect. The boy confessed that Charmant and
De Roseville were impostors--that they were not even Frenchmen, but a
brace of London thieves, who had picked up a knowledge of French
during a professional tour on the continent, and who had emigrated to
America for the purpose of introducing their art among our
unsophisticated countrymen. Charmant had been a jeweller, and this
enabled him to counterfeit the gems obtained of Mr. Sandford, which he
purposed disposing of at the first favorable opportunity. The boy
believed that Charmant had them about him at that