Should she leave the diamonds, or should she take them with
her? The iron box in which they were kept was small, and so far portable
that a strong man might carry it without much trouble. Indeed, Lizzie
could move it from one part of the room to the other, and she had often
done so. But it was so heavy that it could not be taken with her without
attracting attention. The servant would know what it was, and the porter
would know, and Miss Macnulty would know. That her own maid should know
was a matter of course; but even to her own maid the journey of the jewels
would be remarkable because of the weight of the box, whereas if they went
with her other jewels in her dressing-case, there would be nothing
remarkable. She might even have taken them in her pocket, had she dared.
But she did not dare. Though she was intelligent and courageous, she was
wonderfully ignorant as to what might and what might not be done for the
recovery of the necklace by Mr. Camperdown. She did not dare to take them
without the iron box, and at last she decided that the box should go. At a
little after ten, her own carriage--the job-carriage, which was now about
to perform its last journey in her service--was at the door, and a cab was
there for the servants.
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