She read it up in her own bedroom and then sat down to think about
it. Sir Florian, as he had handed to her the stones for the purpose of a
special dinner party which had been given to them when passing through
London, had told her that they were family jewels. "That setting was done
for my mother," he said, "but it is already old. When we are at home again
they shall be reset." Then he had added some little husband's joke as to a
future daughter-in-law who should wear them. Nevertheless she was not sure
whether the fact of their being so handed to her did not make them her
own. She had spoken a second time to Mr. Mopus, and Mr. Mopus had asked
her whether there existed any family deed as to the diamonds. She had
heard of no such deed, nor did Mr. Camperdown mention such a deed. After
reading the letter once she read it a dozen times; and then, like a woman,
made up her mind that her safest course would be not to answer it.
But yet she felt sure that something unpleasant would come of it. Mr.
Camperdown was not a man to take up such a question and let it drop. Legal
steps! What did legal steps mean, and what could they do to her? Would Mr.
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