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“But indeed it was not a dream,” said Ailsie, beginning to cry.

Just then Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick came down, looking grave and discomposed. All during breakfast time they were silent and uncomfortable. As soon as the breakfast things were taken away and the children had been carried up stairs, Mr. Chadwick began, in an evidently preconcerted manner, to inquire if his nephew was certain that all his servants were honest, for that Mrs. Chadwick had that morning missed a very valuable brooch which she had worn the day before. She remembered taking it off when she came home from Buckingham Palace. Mr. Openshaw’s face contracted into hard lines–grew like what it was before he had known his wife and her child. He rang the bell even before his uncle had done speaking. It was answered by the housemaid.

“Mary, was any one here last night while we were away?”

“A man, sir, came to speak to Norah.”

“To speak to Norah! Who was he? How long did he stay!”

“I’m sure I can’t tell, sir. He came–perhaps about nine. I went up to tell Norah in the nursery, and she came down to speak to him. She let him out, sir. She will know who he was, and how long he staid.”

She waited a moment to be asked any more questions, but she was not, so she went away.

It minute afterward Mr. Openshaw made as though he were going out of the room, but his wife laid her hand on his arm:

“Do not speak to her before the children,” she said, in her low, quiet voice.”I will go up and question her.”

“No, I must speak to her. You must know,” said he, turning to his uncle and aunt, “my missus has an old servant as faithful as ever woman was, I do believe, as far as love goes, but, at the same time, who does not always speak truth, as even the missus must allow. Now my notion is that this Norah of ours has been come over by some good-for-nothing chap (for she’s at the time o’ life when they say women pray for husbands–‘any, good Lord, any’), and has let him into our house, and the chap has made off with your brooch, and m’appen many another thing beside. It’s only saying that Norah is soft-hearted, and doesn’t stick at a white lie–that’s all, missus.”

It was curious to notice how his tone, his eyes, his whole face was changed as he spoke to his wife, but he was the resolute man through all. She knew better than to oppose him; so she went up stairs, and told Norah her master wanted to speak to her, and that she would take care of the children in the mean while.

Norah rose to go without a word. Her thoughts were these:

“If they tear me to pieces, they shall never know through me. He may come–and then, just Lord have mercy upon us all, for some of us are dead folk to a certainty. But heshall do it, not me.”

You may fancy, now, her look of determination as she faced her master alone in the dining-room, Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick having left the affair in their nephew’s hands, seeing that he took it up with such vehemence.

“Norah, who was that man that came to my house last night?”

“Man, sir!” As if infinitely surprised; but it was only to gain time.

“Yes, the man that Mary let in; that she went up stairs to the nursery to tell you about; that you came down to speak to; the same chap, I make no doubt, that you took into the nursery to have your talk out with; the one Ailsie saw, and afterward dreamed about, thinking, poor wench! she saw him say his prayers, when nothing, I’ll be bound, was farther from his thoughts; the one that took Mrs. Chadwick’s brooch, value ten pounds. Now, Norah, don’t go off. I’m as sure as my name’s Thomas Openshaw that you knew nothing of this robbery, but I do think you’ve been imposed on, and that’s the truth. Some good-for-nothing chap has been taking up to you, and you’ve been just like all other women, and have turned a soft place in your heart to him; and he came last night a-lovyering, and you had him up in the nursery, and he made use of his opportunities, and made off with a few things on his way down. (Come, now, Norah, it’s no blame to you, only you must not be such a fool again. Tell us,” he continued, “what name he gave you, Norah. I’ll be bound it was not the right one, but it will be a clew for the police.”