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 presents of jewelry from him. She states that she recognized my poor mother's pin as part of the stolen property. It's outrageous!"

Morton set his lips hard and cut his horses sharply with his whip. "I don't remember this pin of yours, Philippa," he said, after a tense moment, more to say something than to voice any particular thought. She colored quickly. "It's gone—I don't know how or where. I had it on yesterday, in fact it was in the afternoon at a tea that she pretended to recognize it. I dined with some friends, but when I reached home it was gone!"

"Gone!"

"Yes, gone, and where, unless Victoria stole it for some purpose, I don't know."

Morton shrank as if he had been burned. "Don't say that!" he begged, huskily. "Don't make this wretched thing any worse than it is."

"You couldn't," Philippa murmured, darkly. "I never would have believed it of her—never. But some awful change has come over her since she has been away; she is not the same."

Morton nodded, and drove on in silence. 187