Witch Hazel; or, The Secret of the Locket — page 285: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| “One reason is that I was afraid I might be robbed of it, if it should be known [ carried: anything so -valuablein my trunk; and then, I knew,’ she added, with a slight flush, though her glance did not waver, “it would be thought atrange that I, a poor girl, should have anything so costly in my possession.” ‘Did Miss Stewart enter your room ?” “Yes, she stepped just inside the door, where she remained standing while I went to get Belle’s wrap.” | ‘ “You did not lock your trunk béfore admitting “No, I simply dropped the lid.” The duchess looked thoughtful. This young girl was 80 frank, so perfectly honest, to all appearance, that her suspicions regarding her were greatly shaken. Then she remembered, with athrill of pain, what her grandson had said regarding his conviction that Helena would not hesitate to wrong this young girl to gratify a spirit of revenge. Was it possible that she had opened Hazel’s trunk Jast night, while | she was for amoment alonein her room, and then plotted to ruin her for some reason known ouly to herself? Had she done it—good heavens !—because she had discovered Lord Nelson’s love for her, and had taken this way to killit—by robbing Hazel of her character ? These thoughts, and many others, flashed with lightning-like rapidity through the duchess’ brain; but she would not harbor thei for a moment—they were too horrible, and so utterly at varianee with her previous judgment of Helena’s character. She felt almost like a traitor to her friends from the fact of these suspicions having originated in her mind, Still she felt greatly disappointed both in, Helena and Mrs, Stewart, on account of their Sut Here GT — my