Greystock, of course, took his cousin's part. He was there to do so; and
he himself did not really know whether Lizzie was or was not entitled to
the diamonds. The lie which she had first fabricated for the benefit of
Mr. Benjamin when she had the jewels valued, and which she had since told
with different degrees of precision to various people--to Lady Linlithgow,
to Mr. Camperdown, to Lucy, and to Lord Fawn--she now repeated with
increased precision to her cousin. Sir Florian, in putting the trinket
into her hands, had explained to her that it was very valuable, and that
she was to regard it as her own peculiar property. "If it was an heirloom
he couldn't do it," Frank had said, with all the confidence of a
practising barrister.
"He made it over as an heirloom to me," said Lizzie, with plaintive
tenderness.
"That's nonsense, dear Lizzie." Then she smiled sweetly on him, and patted
the back of his hand with hers. She was very gentle with him, and bore his
assumed superiority with pretty meekness. "He could not make it over as an
heirloom to you. If it was his to give, he could give it to you."
"It was his--certainly.
Pages:
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255