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      She was clasped in eight loving arms

      "Don't go up, mummy darling," said Anthea; "let me take your things up for you."

      "Or I will," said Cyril.

      "We want you to come and look at the rose-tree," said Robert.

      "Oh, don't go up!" said Jane helplessly.

      "Nonsense, dears," said mother briskly, "I'm not such an old woman yet that I can't take my bonnet off in the proper place. Besides I must wash these black hands of mine."

      So up she went, and the children, following her, exchanged glances of gloomy foreboding.

      Mother took off her bonnet,—it was a very pretty hat, really, with white roses in it,—and when she had taken it off she went to the dressing-table to do her pretty hair.

      On the table between the ring-stand and the pin-cushion lay a green leather case. Mother opened it.

      "Oh, how lovely!" she cried. It was a ring, a large pearl with shining, many-lighted diamonds set round it. "Wherever did this come from?" mother asked, trying it on her wedding finger, which it fitted beautifully. "However did it come here?"

      "I don't know," said each of the children truthfully.

      "Father must have told Martha to put it here," mother said. "I'll run down and ask her."

      "Let me look at it," said Anthea, who knew Martha would not be able to see the ring. But when Martha was asked, of course she denied putting the ring there, and so did Eliza and cook.

      Mother came back to her bedroom, very much interested and pleased about the ring. But, when she opened the dressing-table drawer and found a long case containing an almost priceless diamond necklace, she was more interested still, though not so pleased. In the wardrobe, when she went to put away her "bonnet," she found a tiara and several brooches, and the rest of the jewellery turned up in various parts of the room during the next half-hour. The children looked more and more uncomfortable, and now Jane began to sniff.

      Mother looked at her gravely.

      "Jane," she said, "I am sure you know something about this. Now think before you speak, and tell me the truth."

      "We found a Fairy," said Jane obediently.

      "No nonsense, please," said her mother sharply.

      "Don't be silly, Jane," Cyril interrupted. Then he went on desperately. "Look here, mother, we've never seen the things before, but Lady Chittenden at Peasmarsh Place lost all her jewellery by wicked burglars last night. Could this possibly be it?"

      All drew a deep breath. They were saved.

      "But how could they have put it here? And why should they?" asked mother, not unreasonably. "Surely it would have been easier and safer to make off with it?"

      "Suppose," said Cyril, "they thought it better to wait for—for sunset—nightfall, I mean, before they went off with it. No one but us knew that you were coming back to-day."

      "I must send for the police at once," said mother distractedly. "Oh, how I wish daddy were here!"

      "Wouldn't it be better to wait till he does come?" asked Robert, knowing that his father would not be home before sunset.

      "No, no; I can't wait a minute with all this on my mind," cried mother. "All this" was the heap of jewel-cases on the bed. They put them all in the wardrobe, and mother locked it. Then mother called Martha.

      "Martha," she said, "has any stranger been into my room since I've been away? Now, answer me truthfully."

      "No, mum," answered Martha; "leastways, what I mean to say"—

      She stopped.

      "Come," said her mistress kindly, "I see someone has. You must tell me at once.