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'
Well,' returned Miss Sally, with a sudden flush overspreading her
features, 'what of that?'
'She is found, ma'am,' said the Notary, pulling out his pocket-
handkerchief with a flourish. 'She is found.'
'Who found her?' demanded Sarah hastily.
'
We did, ma'am - we three. Only last night, or you would have heard
from us before.'
'
And now I have heard from you,' said Miss Brass, folding her arms as
though she were about to deny something to the death, 'what have
you got to say? Something you have got into your heads about her, of
course. Prove it, will you - that's all. Prove it. You have found her, you
say. I can tell you (if you don't know it) that you have found the most
artful, lying, pilfering, devilish little minx that was ever born. - Have
you got her here?' she added, looking sharply round.
'
No, she is not here at present,' returned the Notary. 'But she is quite
safe.'
'Ha!' cried Sally, twitching a pinch of snuff out of her box, as spitefully
as if she were in the very act of wrenching off the small servant's nose;
'she shall be safe enough from this time, I warrant you.'
'
I hope so,' replied the Notary. 'Did it occur to you for the first time,
when you found she had run away, that there were two keys to your
kitchen door?'
Miss Sally took another pinch, and putting her head on one side,
looked at her questioner, with a curious kind of spasm about her
mouth, but with a cunning aspect of immense expression.
'
Two keys,' repeated the Notary; 'one of which gave her the
opportunities of roaming through the house at nights when you
supposed her fast locked up, and of overhearing confidential
consultations - among others, that particular conference, to be
described to-day before a justice, which you will have an opportunity
of hearing her relate; that conference which you and Mr Brass held
together, on the night before that most unfortunate and innocent
young man was accused of robbery, by a horrible device of which I will
only say that it may be characterised by the epithets which you have
applied to this wretched little witness, and by a few stronger ones
besides.'
Sally took another pinch. Although her face was wonderfully
composed, it was apparent that she was wholly taken by surprise, and
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