The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-01-13

tankards and salvers OF solid gold, to say
nothing OF plates, spoons and forks, all ap-
parently OF the precious metal. Our CONVEX
sstion naturally turned upon this disp ay; and
just as we we're admiring it, Florence Dasent
happened to join AS.
'.Miss Courtenay has been admiring the
pla E." remarked Mr.. Msuleverer.
eyes; isn't it beautifulP she replied.
"But, really, think pretty china would be al
most nicer. believe papa would prefer 1t;
| but we can't get rid OF our plate simply be-
cause it is entsiled; 81 are mamma's dia-
monds."
| Lady Dasent was wearing her diamonds that
| evening From my quiet corner in the BALI
room, had especially no iced the necklace,
which was rather tight circlet round her
thr at, set In squares OF formal but OF course
4 magnificent description.
A few tri1ing remarks followed; and then
Mr.. Mauleverer nduc ed me back to my sea-
in the vicinity OF which we found Amy, to
| whom Mr.. Mauleverer was engaged for the
| next dance.
| / must say they looked charming couple
| as they moved away. suppose my eyes we're
expressive of my thoughts, for Lady Dasent's
voice close beside me seemed t echo hem.
| They make q god pair, don't lheyP she
| said. "Ah, Miss Courtenay," she continued,
81 am afraid you must no. expect to keep your
niece always; some one is sure to carry her on
| soon."
a am in no hurry for that time to come"
replied. "But, Lady Dasenr, do you mind
telling me one thing; who is Mr. Maulev-
erern'
"Who IS Mr.. Maulevererl" repeated Lady
Dasent, with shade OF sarcasm in her voice
| "Well, my dear Miss Courtenay, believe he
is of very good family, very well off; and
| know he is very Oh rming and moves in the
| hes society. You may be quits sure, had he
not been very desirable in every way, he would
| not have been our guest"
Some one else just then claimed Lady
Dasent's attention, and she moved of, leaving
me to digest at my leisure the satisfactory re-
marks she had made relative to Amy's ad-
| mirer. Very good famifY--very well 0ff-verv
CHARMING, and so forth. was glad to hear it;
and could scarcely avoid feeling of exuta
| ton when, on our return home Amy told me
| that he had asked her to be his wife, and she
| had accepted him.
| Tired as | was after my unwonted dissipa-
ton, sleep seemed to have forsaken me; Amy's
| engagement was all | could think of until
| daylight began TO struggle into existence;
hen suppose | fell asleep and might have
slept for hours had not my oil housemaid,
| Margaret, burst int my room without any
ceremony and Weakened me with The startling
tidings that Enfield had been on fire and that
| the gold plate, also nearly all Lady Dasent's
diamonds had been stoleni
1t seemed altogether too dreadful 20 be true;
but very shortly afterWard Mr.. Mauleverer
| himself appeared and fully confirmed the
tidings. He had distinguished himself greatly
| by his bravery in endeavoring 10 extinguish
the flames, and in doing so had burned his
| right hand rather severely.
~ thought you might hear an exaggerated
account of it, SO | came over at once" he
| observed, with meaning glance toward ANY,
| "Who discovered it9n l asked. 'What can
have orr mated the fire? and, above all, who
can have taken the plate?"
| And the diamonds" added AMY.
"Ihat remains to be seen," replied Mr..
Mauleyerer. ''On my way here / teeg sphed
| to Scotland Yard, and no ubt a sharp detec-
tive will unravel the mystery"
Partly in order to make it more convenient
| for guests at distance, partly because Lord
Dasent himself objected to late hours the ball
had begun at the uniashionablv early hour Of
nine o'clock; by half-past iwotwas over; and
| by three O'Clock comparative silence hal
reigned over Enfield. The butler hal judged
| it safe-never dreaming OF danger-to lock up
the supper-room, the shutters of all the
windows being strongly barred as well With
an easy min !, and the key in his coat pocket
that functionary retired to bed, while the rest
| oil the servants gladly followed his example.
Neither bolts nor bars, however, defended
| the diamonds. Lady Dasent replaced them
with her own hands in their cases, which,
| without any anxiety whatever she laid upon
her toilet table. Tomorrow they would, as
usual, be deposited in the safe. where they
were ordinarily kept. She had dismissed her
maid directly she came to her room; one ofher
| daughters unclasped the circlet from her
| throat, and shortly Afterwards it came out
| in the evidence-Miss Dascnt left her mothers
room, crossed the corridor, and was just alb ,ut
| to enter her own room, when, in the darkness
some one brushed past her. The circumstance
| did not alarm her; 1t was no doubt one OF the
| servants; so she thought no more Off.
Lady Dasent's dressing-rOom adjoined her
| bedroom: and her account of the affair was
| that, a few minutes ter she had got into bed,
| he no p6l NJ hnrd s:Tor
room door turn and she fancied she heard
very quiet ep in the dressing-ro IN. which in
a sleepy way she fancied was her maid.
| Lord Dasent heard II 'thing--had nothing TO
tell; he wished he had. If any one had
| brushed past him in The corrido', or he had
heard steps in the dressi groom, there would
have been neither robbery nor fire. AS it was
! the stealthy footsteps must have approached
| the dressing table, and, with elaboration
| almost incredible, some one must have opened
the cases and distracted the contents. The
| circlet, the bracelets and a pair of magnificent
earrings-all were gone. The gold plate had
/ also bean cleverly carried of, only few minor
| articles having been spared.
At first all the energies OF the household
| were directed toward subduing the fire. 1t
evidently had its origin mar the supper-room
which cha iced to be direc ly below Lady
Dasent's rooms. At all events, it was owl
to her balm Weakened by strong smell of fire
that the alarm was given In time to save not
| o ~ the house but some OF the inmates, who
might otherwise have per shed in the flames.
And from this fate it appeared that Mr. Maui
| everer had a narrow escape. He had behaved
''splendidlv," SO the Dasents said; and, as my
nephewelec ct, was proud to hear it.
CHAPTER II.
Upon furtherinvestigation IT, was found that
while the robbery at Enfield Court had been
! most carefully planned and premeditate |, the
| fire had evidently been al accidental part OF
| the hieves' programme, as hastily done.up
| bundle, con tanning some valuable articles, was
| discovered just outside the supper-ro I'm win.
| dow, as il dropped in hasty exit. Happily
| the fire had been subdued in time to save the
| greater portion Of the house; but the damage
done, to say nothing ofthe immense loss caused
| by the robbery, was very considerable.
In due tim two detectives came down from
| London, and the excitement continued una
bated in the nei hborhood while they remained;
but nothing TRANSFERRED. They m intained an
| amount of stolid reticerce which to the curious
was most provoking; and finally they depart ed
without having apparently done anything to-
ward solving the mystery, far less securing the
| thieves
| Gradually things seemed to settle down, and
| the robbery at Ehield was replaced IN my mind
| by my en- ire abso ption IN Amy,s engagement,
| to which had given qualified consent, on
| the condition that Mr. Mauleverer's family
were satisfied with the conn .ction, and hat
| pecuniarv matters were properly adjusted
| Now hat he had actually declared himself I
| felt emboldened to ask questions and ascertain
everything | possibly could as to the aniece-
| dents OF the man who was to be my darling's
| husband.