"Thank God!" exclaimed Dr. Crossett. "Thank God!"
"I will kill that man! You"--the old man glared at John contemptuously--"you, who say you love her--you should have killed him. She has no jewels--see!"
He put his hand in the safe and drew out Lola's little black jewel box.
"Here is all she has, all that she ever had. The key, Lola, give me the key."
"I want them to see your poor little trinkets. By God, no man shall doubt my daughter. Give me the key!"
She looked around for a moment, from one to the other, from John to her father, to Dr. Crossett, to Maria, who had entered the room, and stood looking at her. She was trapped. She knew that there was just one chance, hardly worth the trying.
Dr. Barnhelm did not hesitate. He threw the delicate wooden box to the floor and dashed his foot down on it. It splintered to pieces.
He pointed to a string of amber, a silver pin, and--
"Look!" John stooped and held up before them the string of flashing diamonds.
"Lola!" There was agony in the Doctor's voice. "Lola!"
"It is the box you dropped in here, after you came back from Dick Fenway. You would not let me see what was in it." John held up the battered leather box. "See how well it fits these diamonds!"
"Then you did open that safe since the Doctor put the money there!" exclaimed Maria. "I knew you did. You took that money."
"Well, what if I did?" She was at bay now, against them all, and she was glad of it. "I wanted the money. Could I have asked any of you for it? You are all so good, and so respectable that if I told you I wanted a pair of decent gloves you'd say it was a sin."
She put out her hand and tore the string of diamonds away from John, and clasped them defiantly about her neck.
"This is mine, and the man who gave it to me will give me as many others as I ask of him."
"Lola!" John cried out in horror, but she turned on him fiercely, scornfully.
"Why not? What have you to offer me to compare with what he can give me? Am I to go on forever, and ever, and ever, living the same life, thinking the same thoughts--always--always--until I die? If that was to be my life, how dared you bring me back from death, back, with a thousand new feelings, and passions, and desires? It was you who gave them to me."