The Clever Woman of the Family

"Sentenced for three years! To take her examination!" muttered Mrs.

Dench, and with some difficulty these exclamations were silenced, and

Maria Hatherton called on for her evidence.

Concise, but terrible in its clear brevity, was the story of the agent

tampering with her, the nursemaid, until she had given him access to

the private rooms, where he had turned over the papers. On the following

day, Mr. Williams had been inquiring for his seal-ring, but she herself

had not seen it again till some months after, when she had left her

place, and was living in lodgings provided for her by Maddox, when she

had found the ring in the drawer of his desk; her suspicion had then

been first excited by his displeasure at her proposing to him to

return it, thinking it merely there by accident, and she had afterwards

observed him endeavouring to copy fragments of Mr. Williams's writing.

These he had crushed up and thrown aside, but she had preserved them,

owning that she did not know what might come of them, and the family had

been very kind to her.

The seal and the scraps of paper were here produced by the policeman

who had them in charge. The seal perfectly coincided with that which had

closed the letter to Harry Beauchamp, and was, moreover, identified by

both Alison and Colonel Keith. It was noticeable, too, that one of these

fragments was the beginning of a note to Mr. Beauchamp, as "Dear H." and

this, though not Edward's most usual style of addressing his friend, was

repeated in the demand for the £300.

"Sir," said the accused, "of course I have no intention of intimating

that a gentleman like the Honourable Colonel Keith has been in any

collusion with this unhappy woman, but it must be obvious to you that

his wish to exonerate his friend has induced him to give too easy

credence to this person's malignant attempts to fasten upon one whom

she might have had reason to regard as a benefactor the odium of the

transactions that she acknowledges to have taken place between herself

and this Maddox, thereto incited, no doubt, by some resemblance which

must be strong, since it has likewise deceived Mr. Beauchamp."

Mr. Grey looked perplexed and vexed, and asked Mr. Beauchamp if he could

suggest any other person able to identify Maddox. He frowned, said there

must have been workmen at the factory, but knew not where they were,

looked at Colin Keith, asked Alison if she or her sister had ever seen

Maddox, then declared he could lay his hands on no one but Dr. Long at

Belfast.

Mauleverer vehemently exclaimed against the injustice of detaining him

till a witness could be summoned from that distance. Mr. Grey evidently

had his doubts, and began to think of calling in some fresh opinion

whether he had sufficient grounds for committal, and Alison's hopes were

only unstained by Colin's undaunted looks, when there came a knock at

the door, and, as much to the surprise of Alison as of every one else,

there entered an elderly maid-servant, leading a little girl by the

hand, and Colonel Keith going to meet the latter, said, "Do not be

frightened, my dear, you have only to answer a few questions as plainly

and clearly as you can."