L. T. Meade

“ I followed the direction of her hand and saw my handsome secretary, Rudolph Maxwell, and Lucy Gifford pacing slowly up and down a shady path at some little distance from the house.
“They have been friends from the very first evening,” said Diana.
“More than friends, it seems to me,” I interrupted.
“I agree with you,” she cried. “How charming! What a handsome couple they would make! He is so dark, so distinguished looking, and she so dazzlingly fair. ”

“ In the midst of them he was suddenly interrupted by my secretary. Maxwell bent forward, and spoke in an eager voice.
“You don't mean to say you have lost your beautiful diamond ring?” he said. There was surprise in his tone.
“Yes, I certainly have.”
“But when? I happened to see it on your finger when I was removing the rugs from the carriage.”
“There, Matthew,” said Diana, turning to me, “did not I say I had it on? Mr. Maxwell also saw it. My last hope has gone.” The tears started to her eyes; she made a great effort to recover herself; Maxwell and Sylvestre glanced pityingly at her. ”

“ We went to the old-fashioned rooms and began our search; no sign of the necklace could be found in any nook or cranny, and Sylvestre went downstairs presently to examine the servants. He returned in a short time to say that, as far as he could tell, they were all innocent. When he uttered these words Lucy burst into tears.
“Mother will never forgive me,” she cried. “I feel absolutely full of terror. I have the strangest premonition, too, that there is more to follow.” ”

“ I simply have no terrors of the unseen. Material things frighten me—a burglar would send me into fits; but my poor ghost—if she came I should coax her to tell me her story.”
“God grant you may not be tempted,” said Maxwell.
“You look queer, Mr. Maxwell,” said the young girl, glancing up into his face; “are you faint?”
“No; but I tremble at your bold words. If I were to see an apparition, I believe I should die on the spot.”
“Why so? Surely you are too manly to give way to ungovernable terror at what cannot hurt you?” ”

“ I exclaimed.
“Well, are you not thoroughly pleased with Rudolph Maxwell?” she asked in her impetuous fashion.
“I am; he is a capital fellow.”
“And I am sure Miss Gifford is about the most delightful girl I ever came across,” said Diana. “Oh! this flirtation quite reconciles me to the loss of my ring,” she continued.
“Well, dear, I am glad it pleases you. Of course, Maxwell is without fortune, but he has plenty of brains, and belongs to one of the best families in Cumberland. Lucy Gifford is rich, but not so highly born. Yes, perhaps it will do—that is, if her people approve. ”

“ Miss Gifford, who was seated not far from me, turned her sparkling eyes on my face.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“That may be the possible solution,” I replied; “but now let us say nothing more about the ring. It is unfair to worry others with a loss which only concerns my wife and myself.”
In our bedroom that evening, Diana reverted to Maxwell's solution of the mystery.
“I really think he may be right,” she said. “It is just possible that the ring may have fallen between the lines, and may still be there. Would it not be well to send telegrams to the different railway stations? ”

“ There is a bedroom beyond, and a dressing-room; but the pearls——” Here Markham's voice dropped; he had entered the room and seen the extraordinary spectacle which there awaited him.
“Good Heavens! what has happened?” he cried; he looked from me to my secretary, then his brow cleared.
I am glad to see you, Mr. Gray,” he said; “I have good news for you. Everything has been discovered. That scoundrel on his knees there is no more Maxwell of Apsley View than I am. Allow me to introduce you, sir, to the real Rudolph Maxwell, the son of your old friend.” ”

“ We took nearly an hour driving to Clonfield Abbey, my friend's beautiful place, and when we did arrive there the colour had returned to Diana's cheeks and much of the brightness to her eyes.
At dinner that evening the subject of the lost ring was mentioned by Sylvestre. It was immediately taken up with interest by almost everyone at the table, and I heard Maxwell talking over the loss with his neighbour, a remarkably pretty girl—a Miss Gifford, a cousin of the Sylvestres.
“There can be only one solution of the mystery,” I heard him say. ”

“ The footsteps came nearer—they were too heavy for a woman's; my heart jumped into my mouth. All of a sudden, I recollected that of course Lucy Gifford must have left her diamonds behind her. Was it possible that the person who had secured the necklace was now coming to possess himself of the valuable pendant? Who could the thief be? I stood motionless, scarcely daring to breathe. The footsteps went quickly through the sitting-room and entered the bedroom. ”

“ Maxwell and I talked about burglars, and one or two stories he told me rather frightened me. I felt afraid to sleep in the room with the pearls, and put them into the writing-desk in my little sitting-room. When I entered the room this morning, the writing-case was open and the necklace gone. Someone must certainly have stolen it. I shall never be able to face mother again.”
Lucy's story caused consternation amongst all our party; and as soon as ever breakfast was over we went up to her room, intending to have a right good search for the missing treasure. ”

“ Allow the young people to discover their secret for themselves.”
She promised me, and we went downstairs.
Our house party was a particularly cheerful one, and each day passed in a whirl of excitement and innocent gaiety. Day by day Maxwell and Lucy Gifford became better friends. Lucy's beautiful face assumed that sort of expression which a girl will wear when she is stepping, as she thinks, into Paradise. When Maxwell appeared on the scene a softer light came into her eyes, and a more tender radiance visited her lovely face. ”

“ Perhaps Miss Gifford had never placed it in her writing-desk; it is well known that people often completely forget where they have put their greatest treasures. I entered through the sitting-room, which was now quite dark, and went straight into the little bedroom. The moon was shining outside, and the first thing I saw was that the housemaid had forgotten to draw down the window blind, and that in consequence the looking-glass, placed just behind the window in the dressing-room, made queer reflections. ”

“ Diana took care to make herself very beautiful that evening. She wore her wedding dress, which had been slightly altered to fit the required fashion; round her neck she placed a string of seed pearls, to which was attached a lovely little pendant, also of pearls; in her hair she wore a large pearl pin.
“I wonder you care to wear those,” I said. “They will remind poor Lucy of her loss.”
“I would not wear them,” she replied with spirit, “if Lucy had her own necklace, for these would lose so terribly in comparison ”

“ Gray. You were good to me, and so was your wife, and if I could be sorry at having deceived you, I would. The fact is, I belong to a gang of burglars, called the Apollo gang. In our profession we live altogether on our wits, and no subterfuge which attains our object is below our adoption. Two years ago I was valet to that gentleman.” He nodded as he spoke in the direction of Maxwell. ”

“ The fact is,” she continued, bending towards me, “I am hopeless about ever getting back the pearls. Are you aware, Mr. Gray, that the detective left here early this morning?”
“What!” I exclaimed.
“Yes, Mr. Markham has gone. I conclude that he considers the search quite useless. I heard the sound of wheels as I lay in bed, and jumped up to look from my window. He left Clonfield Abbey between six and seven this morning.”
“I don't believe for a moment he has given up the search,” I said.
Lucy sighed, and shook her pretty head. ”

“ The man whom you suspect is the son of one of my oldest friends. He is a Cambridge man of striking ability; in short, his career has been without reproach from the first.”
The detective took down some further notes in his memorandum book. ”