Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 262: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“The necklace is mine,” Hazel answered, quietly, and meeting his glance steadily. “Heavens! what audacity!” murmured Helena, in a Voice of horror; but Belle’s face cleared instantly at the assertion. “Why, Miss Gay! what a perfectly preposterous statement!” exclaimed Mrs. Stewart, aghast, and with great indignation. ‘‘With your own hands you fastened it about my neck last evening, in the pres- ence of Helena and Belle, before I went to the duchess’ ball,” | “Not this one, Mrs. Stewart; this, [ repeat, is mine! I believe,’ she continued, turning her clear eyes once more upon the detective, and standing calmly before him with folded hands, ‘‘that it belonged to my mother.” “You believe! Don’t you know?” demanded the man, “No, sir. not positively. May Itell you all that I do know about it ?”’ “Certainly; you have aright to defend yourself, if you can?t’ he answered, but he spoke coldly and skeptically. “T do not know who either my father or mother were,’’ Hazel began, sadly, ‘‘I do not even know their name ormy own. [have a dim recollection of being ou the ocean with a gentleman and a good many other people during a terrible storm. The vessel was wrecked and upon the point of sinking, when I was almost miraculously rescued by a light-house keeper, who, with his assistants and grandson, saw the dan- ger, aid put off from the shore to try to save whom he could. He reached the vessel just as it was yoing down. a thrown oe eg from 4 by deck, by a man whom he supposed to be my father he caught me in his arms; he had just eas oi cncak tea