Darke,
with a horrid grin; "but that won't do, my lass. A lady that's
afraid of exposure will pay you, if she pawns her last diamond, but
a gentleman--why, he gets sick of his fancy, and snaps his fingers
at them that helped him!" Then, looking keenly at Loveday, "You've
not been playing me false, eh?"
"O no, no," hastily exclaimed Loveday, cowering at the malignant look.
"If so be you have, Grace Loveday, two can play at that game," said
Mrs. Darke composedly. "There, I have left her enough to turn back.
What hair it is! Feel the weight of it! There's not another head
of the mouse-colour to match your Lady's in the kingdom," she added,
smoothing out the severed tresses with the satisfaction of a
connoisseur. "No wonder madame could not let this be wasted on the
plantations, when you and I and M. le Griseur know her own hair is
getting thinner than she would wish a certain Colonel to guess.
There! the pretty dear, what a baby she looks! I will tie her on
a cowl, lest she should take cold on the river. See these rings.
Did you Lady give no charge about them?"
"I had forgot!" said the waiting-woman, confused; "she charged me to
bring them back, old family jewels, she said, that must not be carried
off to foreign parts; but I cannot, cannot do it.
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