Sepia was silent a moment or two, then said:
"How is your cousin?"
"I have no cousin," replied Mary.
"The person, I mean, you have been staying with?"
"Better, thank you."
"Almost a pity, is it not--if there should come trouble about
this ring?"
"I do not understand you. The ring will, of course, be found,"
returned Mary.
"In any case the blame will come on you: it was in your charge."
"The ring was in the case when I left."
"You will have to prove that."
"I remember quite well."
"That no one will question."
Beginning at last to understand her insinuations, Mary was so
angry that she dared not speak.
"But it will hardly go to clear you," Sepia went on. "Don't
imagine I mean you have taken it; I am only warning you how the
matter will look, that you may be prepared. Mr. Redmain is one to
believe the worst things of the best people."
"I am obliged to you," said Mary, "but I am not anxious."
"It is necessary you should know also," continued Sepia, "that
there is some suspicion attaching to a female friend of yours as
well, a young woman who used to visit you--the wife of the other,
it is supposed. She was here, I remember, one night there was a
party; I saw you together in my cousin's bedroom. She had just
dressed and gone down."
"I remember," said Mary. "It was Mrs. Helmer."
"Well?"
"It is very unfortunate, certainly; but the truth must be told: a
few days before you left, one of the servants, hearing some one
in the house in the middle of the night, got up and went down,
but only in time to hear the front door open and shut.
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