Miss Crawford thought she had never seen a prettier consciousness.

"My dear child," said she, laughing, "what are you afraid of?
Do you think Henry will claim the necklace as mine, and fancy you did not come honestly by it?
or are you imagining he would be too much flattered by seeing round your lovely throat an ornament which his money purchased three years ago, before he knew there was such a throat in the world?
or perhaps"-- looking archly--"you suspect a confederacy between us, and that what I am now doing is with his knowledge and at his desire ?" With the deepest blushes Fanny protested against such a thought.
"Well, then," replied Miss Crawford more seriously, but without at all believing her, "to convince me that you suspect no trick, and are as unsuspicious of compliment as I have always found you, take the necklace and say no more about it.

Its being a gift of my brother's need not make the smallest difference in your accepting it, as I assure you it makes none in my willingness to part with it.

He is always giving me something or other.

I have such innumerable presents from him that it is quite impossible for me to value or for him to remember half.