"
While she spoke, she had again taken the ring, and was looking at
it. Mr. Redmain snatched it from her hand.
"The devil!" he cried. "You haven't the face to hint that the
stone has been changed?"
Mary laughed.
"Such a thing never came into my head, sir; but now that you have
put it there, I could almost believe it."
"Go along with you!" he cried, casting at her a strange look
which she could not understand, and the same moment pulling the
bell hard.
That done, he began to examine the ring intently, as Mary had
been doing, and did not speak a word. Mewks came.
"Show Miss Marston out," said his master; "and tell my coachman
to bring the hansom round directly."
"For Miss Marston?" inquired Mewks, who had learned not a little
cunning in the service.
"No!" roared Mr. Redmain; and Mewks darted from the room,
followed more leisurely by Mary.
"I don't know what's come to master!" ventured Mewks, as he led
the way down the stair.
But Mary took no notice, and left the house.
For about a week she heard nothing.
In the meantime Mr. Redmain had been prosecuting certain
inquiries he had some time ago begun, and another quite new one
besides. He was acquainted with many people of many different
sorts, and had been to jewelers and pawnbrokers, gamblers and
lodging-house keepers, and had learned some things to his
purpose.
Once more Mary received from him a summons, and once more,
considerably against her liking, obeyed.
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