On the
way they looked into the nursery, to give little Henry to his nurse,
and to ask Jane, who was sitting with Ada, what she remembered about
it. Jane knew nothing, and they went on to the storeroom, where
Eleanor, quite in her element, began rummaging, arranging, and
sighing over the confusion, while Lily lent a helping hand, and Emily
stood by, wishing that her sister would not trouble herself.
Presently Jane came running up with a saucer in her hand, containing
a quarter of a quince and some syrup, which she said she had found in
the nursery cupboard, in searching for a puzzle which Ada wanted.
'And,' said Jane, 'I should guess that Miss Ada herself knew
something about it, for when I could not find the puzzle in the
right-hand cupboard, she was so very unwilling that I should look
into that one; she said there was nothing there but the boys' old
playthings and Esther's clothes. And I do not know whether you saw
how she fidgeted when you were talking about the quinces, before you
went up.'
'It is much too plain,' sighed Lily. 'Oh! Rachel, why did we not
listen to you?'
'Do you suppose,' said Eleanor, 'that Ada has been in the habit of
taking the key and helping herself?'
'No,' said Emily, 'but that Esther has helped her.
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