Jane was greatly offended and astonished.
‘I hope I know my place, Miss Emmeline,’ she remarked huffily, ‘I should never think of giving Alice notice myself, but I’ve no doubt that Miss Bolton will when I’ve told her my suspicions, which I shall feel it my bounden duty to do.’
‘But Jane,’ said Emmeline, almost crying, ‘do try to have a little charity. You know how much the Bible says about charity!’
‘Miss Emmeline,’ said Jane, in her most dignified manner, ‘I don’t think I need any little girl to teach me about the Bible, which I’ve been through seven times already, and have got as far through the eighth time as the seventh of Numbers; but I know my duty, and my duty is to see that there are only honest servants in this house; and I think I’m a better judge of who are honest than any little girl!’ And with this parting shot she stalked away, slamming the door behind her.
‘Oh, what shall I do? What shall I do?’ said Emmeline, half aloud, as she wandered restlessly about the room. ‘I never was in such a dreadful bother. Oh, what _can_ I do?’
‘Tell them you’ve taken the money yourself,’ whispered her conscience: ‘that’s the only honest thing to do.’
‘But that would mean betraying Diamond Jubilee, and Aunt Grace would be sure to send him back to that wicked old Mother Grimes,’ said Emmeline, arguing with her conscience, as people do when they cannot make up their minds to the course of action which they know to be right. ‘Diamond Jubilee would be ruined body and soul. Perhaps some day he would be even hanged! No, I _must_ think of some other way.’
But wander about as she might she could think of no other plan. She did indeed picture herself pleading eloquently with Aunt Grace not to send Alice away, but her conscience told her that even if she succeeded, she would still be wronging the girl by allowing her to remain under suspicion. Besides, Aunt Grace might not listen to her any more than Jane had done.
‘Well, anyhow, Jane can’t do anything till Aunt Grace comes home,’ she said to herself at last, ‘and there’ll be plenty of time for settling what to do before then, so I won’t think about it any more just now. It’s quite time to be seeing about Diamond Jubilee’s newspapers.’
