CHAPTER XIV.
THE instant Isabel was out of hearing, Old Sharon slapped Moody on the
shoulder to rouse his attention. "I've got her out of the way," he said,
"now listen to me. My business with the young angel is done--I may go
back to London."
Moody looked at him with astonishment.
"Lord! how little you know of thieves!" exclaimed Old Sharon. "Why, man
alive, I have tried her with two plain tests! If you wanted a proof of
her innocence, there it was, as plain as the nose in your face. Did you
hear me ask her how she came to seal the letter--just when her mind was
running on something else?"
"I heard you," said Moody.
"Did you see how she started and stared at me?"
"I did."
"Well, I can tell you this--if she _had_ stolen the money she would
neither have started nor stared. She would have had her answer ready
beforehand in her own mind, in case of accidents. There's only one
thing in my experience that you can never do with a thief, when a thief
happens to be a woman--you can never take her by surprise. Put that
remark by in your mind; one day you may find a use for remembering it.
Did you see her blush, and look quite hurt in her feelings, pretty dear,
when I asked about her sweetheart? Do you think a thief, in her place,
would have shown such a face as that? Not she! The thief would have been
relieved. The thief would have said to herself, 'All right! the more
the old fool talks about sweethearts the further he is from tracing the
robbery to Me!' Yes! yes! the ground's cleared now, Master Moody.
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