Scarcely was Mary in her room, however, when she heard the door,
which had the trick of falling-to of itself, closed and locked,
and knew that she was a prisoner. For one moment a frenzy of
anger overcame her; the next, she remembered where her life was
hid, knew that nothing could touch her, and was calm. While she
took from her drawers the things she wanted, and put them in her
hand-bag, she heard the door unlocked, but, as no one entered,
she sat down to wait what would next arrive.
Mrs. Redmain, as soon as she was aware of her loss, had gone in
her distress to tell her husband, whose gift the ring had been.
Unlike his usual self, he had showed interest in the affair. She
attributed this to the value of the jewel, and the fact that he
had himself chosen it: he was rather, and thought himself very,
knowing in stones; and the sapphire was in truth a most rare one:
but it was for quite other reasons that Mr. Redmain cared about
its loss: it would, he hoped, like the famous carbuncle, cast a
light all round it.
He was as yet by no means well, and had not been from the house
since his return.
The moment Mary was out of the room, Hesper rose.
"I should be a fool to let her leave the house," she said.
"Hesper, you will do nothing but mischief," cried Sepia.
Hesper paid no attention, but, going after Mary, locked the door
of her room, and, running to her husband's, told him she had made
her a prisoner.
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