Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 388: what you’re looking at

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

for un ilstant leaving her face. ‘Suppose, for in- stance, that some one like—well, say your sislery—had conceived a grudge against Miss Gay, or Miss Gra harm, as she is now known, and was bent upon doing heraninjury. She is remarkably pretty, you know, and attracts a great deal of attention and aduuira- tion; even a lord is so enamored of her that he turns his back upon more eligible parties, not to mention acertain handsome doctor and lawyer. Well, sup- pose this person is desirous of getting her dangerous rival out of her way; suppose she discovers, by some means—we Will not enter too minutely into detail— that Miss Graham possesses a piece of jewelry ex- actly like one belonging to her employer. It wouldn’t be such a very difficult matter for this person, who, of course, ig Supposed to be perfectly familiar with the ins and outs of Crescent Villa, to spirit away Mrs. Stewart’s necklace, thus suggesting a bold theft. Then,in the nature of things, a search must follow; Miss Graham’s necklace niust be found, and she will have no power to prove her innocence in the face of such overwhelming evidence against her; consequently, she is arrested as a criminal, and it is sate to assume that she will be a dangerous rival no longer. “T perceive that you catch my idea, Miss Stewart,” the man continued, a8 Helena sat perfectly motion- less, her eyes fastened, as if in horrible fascination. upon him, “and I will only sayin conclusion that | propose to act upon these suppositions, and hunt for that necklace watil L find it.”’ There was a moment of utter silence; then Helena drew her fine form haughtily erect. “Do Lunderstand you to insinuate that my sister could be guilty of such‘an act as you describe v’ > demanded, with an air of indignation eB lee Be :