Aunt Mary | Page 8

Julia felt very sorry for her sister, and would have been glad to speak a word of comfort to her, yet she was so anxious to hear from her papa something about the lost brooch, that she was not at all reluctant to remain; so planting herself by her mother's side, she stood patiently to listen to what further Mr. Ellis had to say.
'Did you know, Julia, that Mabel had on your mamma's brooch when you went for a walk?' inquired papa.
Julia hung down her head, yet she answered truthfully;
'Yes, papa, I did know, for I begged her not to wear it.'
'And when she persisted in doing so, why did you not appeal to your mamma?'
To this question there came no response, so Mr. Ellis continued:
'Let me warn you, my little girl,' he said kindly, 'never to connive at faults in your brothers or sisters; it is to them a cruel kindness, which both they and you may live to be sorry for in after life.'
As Mr. Ellis said this, he drew from his waistcoat-pocket the glittering trinket, which had been the innocent cause of so much anxiety, and placing it in his wife's hand, said:
'Now, my dear, I advise you to be more careful of your jewels, or you may lose far more precious ones than this brooch.'
As he made this remark he nodded to Julia, though Mrs. Ellis well understood what her husband meant.
'Now, my little girl, you may go and join the children, while I tell mamma how I came by the brooch.'
CHAPTER V.
A FRIEND IN NEED.
Julia was very glad indeed to see the brooch again, and glad also to receive a dismissal, as she longed to tell her sister the good news.
'And now, my dear,' said Mr. Ellis, when they were alone, 'I suppose you want to learn the particulars respecting the lost and found.'
'Indeed I do, Arthur,' replied his wife; 'it seems a marvellous thing to me how the brooch should have come into your possession, or indeed how it was found at all.'
'Well, it all came about without any magic, as you shall hear,' said her husband. 'You remember the young lady, Miss Vernon, who was staying a short time in the winter with our friends the Maitlands, and whom we were invited to meet?'
'Oh yes, I remember her quite well; I thought her so very pretty, and she sang so delightfully. But what of her?' inquired Mrs. Ellis.
'Well,' replied the gentleman, 'that lady is now a Mrs. Norton; she is married to a friend of mine--an old friend, I should say, for we went to school together.'
'Then he must be considerably older than the lady,' said Mrs. Ellis, 'for I think she is not twenty yet.'
'You are right there, my dear,' said her husband; 'I dare say Norton is twice her age: but he is a fine-looking man--and,' added Mr. Ellis, with a significant smile, 'he has plenty of money, Ada: you know what a bait that is for the ladies.'
'No, I don't know any such thing, Arthur,' replied the lady, warmly; 'and I don't like to hear such things said. Men much oftener marry for money than women do.'
'Well, we will discuss that point some other time, my dear,' said Mr. Ellis; 'but now for my story:
'As I was walking through the Strand this morning, who should I meet but the couple we were speaking of. I did not know them at first, but as they stopped short, and prevented my passing, I soon recognised both lady and gentleman, though it is many years since I saw the latter.
'After the usual congratulations and shaking of hands had been gone through, my friend said:
'"Well, I certainly did not expect to meet you here, Ellis, though, strange to say, you are the very person we came out to call upon; for, strangely enough, I have in my possession a brooch, which, I feel sure, must belong to your good wife, as it has her name, Ada Ellis, engraven on the back. Am I right?" added Norton, taking the brooch from his pocket, and handing it to me.
'"Yes," I said, "this is certainly my wife's brooch, but how it could come into your possession is a mystery to me."
'"It need not be so long, if you will just walk into the Temple Gardens with us. I am going to call on a friend there, and we shall be out of all this noise and bustle," said Norton.
'As I was not just then under any engagement, I turned back with them, and heard the story of the lost and found. It is a very simple one, and I give it in his own words,' said Mr. Ellis.
'"You know Mr. and Mrs. Maitland," began Mr. Norton; "my wife says that she met you at their house last