Garnett were all as firm as rocks and as respectable as the Bank of England.
Circumstances,--unfortunate circumstances,--drove her to Harter and Benjamin and to Mowbray and Mopus, while she would have taken so much delight in feeling the strong honesty of the other people to be on her side! She would have talked to her friends about Mr.Camperdown and the people at Garnett's with so much satisfaction! But ease, security, and even respectability may be bought too dearly.

Ten thousand pounds! Was she prepared to surrender such a sum as that?
She had, indeed, already realised the fact that it might be very difficult to touch the money.

When she had suggested to Mr.Benjamin that he should buy the jewels, that worthy tradesman had by no means jumped at the offer.

Of what use to her would be a necklace always locked up in an iron box, which box, for aught she knew, myrmidons from Mr.Camperdown might carry off during her absence from the house?
Would it not be better to come to terms and surrender?
But then what should the terms be?
If only there had been a friend whom she could consult; a friend whom she could consult on a really friendly footing!--not a simply respectable, off-handed, high-minded friend, who would advise her as a matter of course to make restitution.

Her uncle the dean, or her cousin Frank, or old Lady Fawn, would be sure to give her such advice as that.