Marie Belloc Lowndes

“ Farringdon. It's all my fault! As the bazaar is not to be declared open till three, I thought that it would be quite all right if the detectives came down by the one-thirty train. I'll send for two of our most responsible outdoor men, to whose care the Duke and I would trust everything precious we have in the world! Besides, the great doors will be locked, bolted and barred till just before three o'clock. As you can see for yourself, there is only one other door, that leading from the Castle into the Riding School. No one could get in by any of the windows; they are far too high. ”

“ As if a thought reluctantly, she placed the Catherine Ruby carefully back on its little red cushion in the centre of the sunk table. Then, turning to the Duchess who was examining a collection of engraved gems which she thought more curious than beautiful, "I do hope," she said fervently, "that hundreds and hundreds of people will come in to see all these marvellous jewels!
The Duke, meanwhile, closed down the glass lid of the sunk table, and turned the key in the silver-gilt lock. "I can't keep this key," he said quickly, "for I'm leaving for town after lunch. ”

“ Those of her friends who were unkindly witty had dubbed Lady Playling "The Guest Hog" and "The Forcible Feeder," but, as a matter of fact, she was a generous, kind-hearted, highly vitalised woman who liked bringing congenial souls together, and who delighted to come in touch with any man or woman enjoying temporary fame or notoriety.
"Everyone's already tremendously excited about the bazaar," went on the Duchess placidly. "And Nora Playling will entertain a big party of rich London people, as well as several lovely girls who will be very useful as sellers." ”

“ There are eager purchasers, and no questions asked, for jewels of historic interest and value, both in North and South America. Besides, a really big stone can be cut in half, and still prove enormously valuable. But here come the men! We mustn't talk bazaar shop before them."
But in spite of good resolutions the minds of all the ladies present were much too full of the coming bazaar to make it possible for them to remain wholly silent.
Lady Playling boldly tackled the Duke, and to the Duchess's surprise, he responded quite amiably to her request. ”

“ The Duchess waited a moment. Then she answered firmly: "Absolutely easy! There isn't a single person employed in the Castle about whom I don't know practically everything there is to know. I'm a very lucky woman, Mr. Farringdon. I hear of other people's troubles with their servants; but I have never any trouble! Fortunately for me, I've a wonderful old housekeeper who was once my nurse. No, no. We must look further afield——"
"I've been wondering if your Grace would allow me to telephone to the firm of private enquiry agents my firm always employs?" ”

“ The noted jeweller was a cultivated man, with an unique knowledge of gems, and he threw himself into the spirit of the affair, performing, unassisted, the far from easy task of arranging to the best advantage the contents of his travelling safe, as well as the other jewels which had been lent to the Duchess, in the show-cases which had been commandeered from a local shop.
In the centre of the tent stood a sunk table lent by Lady Playling. ”

“ The Duchess turned to Lady Playling. "I always feel happy when it's with our jewellers——"
While driving back to the Castle, the Duke said thoughtfully: "I think the best thing to do will be to ask Farringdons' to send a trustworthy man down with the Catherine Ruby just for the one day. By the way, what a very pleasant young woman our Lady Leo Hunter's new Italian quarry appears to be." ”

“ Throws herself into all the little things one's doing. She didn't even know what a bazaar was till this morning, yet she's already made two or three quite good suggestions."
"I should have thought," said the Duchess, surprised, "that all kinds of fancy fairs took place in Rome."
"Ah, but Donna Julia has lived mostly, in fact almost entirely, in the country and in southern Italy. She knows nothing of Rome and of Roman society. I very soon found that out."
The owner of Chillingworth Place had an excellent chef, and she was herself a gourmet, so the dinner was exceptionally nice. ”

“ She was once more turning over the pages of the big volume. "Though I hate paying the cheque every Christmas, I've got this of mine well insured"; and she let the book fall open at a page containing a coloured illustration of a curious-looking ornament formed of three large sapphires.
"I always feel nervous when I'm wearing this bandeau," she observed. "Still, it's wonderful to feel on my humble brow something that used to be worn, I believe practically every evening, by the Empress Maria Theresa!" ”

“ Her quick mind began turning over in distressed review the personalities of the many women and girls, for the most part friends and neighbours, who had been working hard all that morning in the Biding School. ”