CHAPTER I.

A Storm Down Below.

"WHAT—she says that she saw the silver paper knife in my box! It's a false slander—it's a burning shame! I defy her to say so again!"

These exclamations were uttered by Miriam Macbean in a voice almost hoarse with passion, as she turned suddenly round, and with sparkling eyes and clenched fist, faced the fellow-servant who had, as she thought, accused her of purloining the property of her mistress.

Caroline cowered under the tempest of anger which she had brought upon herself, for Miriam looked ready to strike as well as to storm. The young maid was almost foaming with fury, for Miriam regarded her own spotless character as something more precious than life; it had never been so much as breathed on before, and her naturally fiery temper was all in a blaze in a moment.

"Miriam, there is no use in being so angry," said her mistress, Mrs. Mellor, with quiet dignity of manner. "No one wishes to accuse you unjustly, or to believe anything against you. I merely asked Caroline if she knew what had become of the silver knife which, as you are both well aware, usually lies on the drawing-room table. I had missed it to-day from its place. Caroline has hunted for it in vain, but mentioned that she had seen something like it in your box, and—"

"Search my box—turn it upside down—I don't care—I'm not afraid of any investigation," cried Miriam, with ungovernable rage. "Let her—let that viper bring down the box, and there's the key."

Miriam pushed it rudely towards the lady. "You shall see yourself, and judge for yourself; I'll not stir a step from this spot until this matter is sifted to the bottom!"

"Go and bring down the box, Caroline," said Mrs. Mellor, perplexed and annoyed at the scene before her.

Caroline was only too glad to escape for a few minutes from the presence of the furious girl, and muttered to herself as she ascended the stairs, that she wished that she had bitten her tongue off before she had said a word about seeing that knife in Miriam's box.

Mrs. Mellor, feeling very uncomfortable, took her seat on a chair in the kitchen, leaning her arm on the dresser, while awaiting Caroline's return.

"I am glad," she thought to herself, "that Miriam has a few minutes in which to let her passion cool down."

But Miriam looked as if her passion were only glowing to more intense heat, as she stood with her arms a-kimbo, her eyes glaring, her cheeks flushed scarlet, and on her face an expression of defiance which nearly bordered on insolence.

"Open it—open it—turn everything out, I insist on a thorough search!" she cried fiercely, as Caroline, trembling, brought in the box. "I shouldn't care a straw if all the world were to see what's in it!"

And with her teeth rigidly set, the young maid watched the movements of her mistress, as Mrs. Mellor put the key into the lock, turned it, and then raised the lid.

"I am sure that I do not doubt your honesty, Miriam; had you not insisted yourself—" began the lady, as she lightly turned over a few of the neatly packed linens and books which the box contained.

She did not finish her sentence, for at the moment that she uttered the last word her hand touched a paper cutter of white metal which lay near the top of the box, and Caroline exclaimed—"That's the thing that I saw!"

"This is certainly not my paper knife, though something like it, I own," said the lady, annoyed at the mistake which her housemaid had made.

"Certainly it is not," muttered Miriam. "It was the parting gift of my soldier-brother before he sailed from England—and there's about as much silver in it as there is truth in her!" And she turned a withering glance on Caroline, who appeared extremely confused.

"I've not a notion what has become of the knife. I've never touched it since I dusted it yesterday," said the young housemaid.

Mrs. Mellor saw that a fierce storm of words was beginning again between her two servants, and was determined, if possible, to put a stop to this, at least for a time.

"Caroline," she said, "I hear the house-door opened, your master has just come in, go and ask him from me whether he has ordered the fish for dinner."

As soon as Caroline had quitted the kitchen, the lady said, turning to Miriam, "I can permit no high words, no quarrelling in my house; I hope that you and Caroline will make up—"

Miriam had so completely lost self-control that she interrupted her mistress. "I'll not stop under the same roof with her—I'll not stop in any place where I've been suspected of stealing! I hope you'll suit yourself, ma'am, I give you warning!" cried Miriam, with passionate emotion, the hot tears rising to her eyes.

"I should be sorry to part with you, Miriam; you have given much satisfaction to your master and me; I do not suspect you in the least," said the lady.

But Miriam only muttered, "I'll not stop, I'll not stop!"

"You had better consult your friends before you take any foolish step, which you might bitterly regret," observed Mrs. Mellor.

"I've no friends in London, or anywhere else, only my soldier-brother who has lately returned from Abyssinia," said Miriam; "he is the only relation whom I have now left in the world."

"Go and consult with him then," said her mistress; "you are much too angry at present to be able to judge for yourself."

And the lady quitted the kitchen, thinking to herself as she did so, "What a valuable servant Miriam would be, if she could only control that terrible temper! When there is nothing to ruffle her, no one could perform her duties better, but an affair like this serves to show how much of the tiger-cat spirit is within her."