Everybody went away with their trunks full
of the Leithcourt's things. They took whatever they could lay their
hands on, and we, the servants, couldn't stop them. I did remonstrate
with one lady who was cramming into her trunk two of Miss Muriel's best
evening dresses, but she told me to mind my own business and leave the
room. One man I saw go away with four of Mr. Leithcourt's guns, and
there was a regular squabble in the billiard-room over a set of pearl
and emerald dress-studs that somebody found in his dressing-room. Crane,
the valet, says they tossed for them."
"Disgraceful!" I ejaculated. "Then as soon as the host and hostess had
gone, they simply swept through the rooms and cleared them?"
"Yes, sir. They took away all that was most valuable. They'd have had
the silver, only Mason had thrown it into the plate-chest, all dirty as
it was, locked it up and hid the key. The plate was Mr. Gilrae's, you
know, sir, and Mason was responsible."
"He acted wisely," I said, surprised at the domestic's story.
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