The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-11-19
mission) can lay my hand on person who
u capable Of deciding whether am right or

mission) can lay my hand on person WHIT
u capable Of deciding whether l am right o'
wrong
is the person now In the houser my mistress
asked, after waiting little
The person has LEFT the house. my lady
That answer pointed as straight TO Miss Ra-
ehel a. straight could be. A silence dropped on
u which thought would never come 10 an end
Lord how the wind howled. and how the rain
drove at the window. rs sat there waiting fol
one or other Of them to speak again /!
BE % good as TO express yourself plainly,
said my lady. DO you refer to my daughter '
Il do said Sergeant Cuff, In 30 many words
My mistress had her check-book on the tabls
when we entered the roop-no doubt to pay the
Sergeant his fee. She now put II back In the
drawer. II went 10 my heart 10 see how her
poor hand trembled-the hand that had loaded
her old servant with benefits the hand that,
pray God, may take mine, when my time comes
and leave my place forever
i had hoped, said my lady, very slowly and
quietly, SO have recompensed your services, and
to have parted with you without Miss Vcrinder's
name having been openly mentioned betweenius
a. II has been mentioned now. My nephew ha,
probably said something Of this before you came
Into my roomr
"Mr. Blake gave his message, my lady.
And / gave Mr.. Blake reason"
SIT Is needless 10 tell me your reason.
Aftcr what you have Just said you know as well
as do that you have gone too far to 20 back.
I owe 1t to myself. and owe 1t to my child, to
insist on your speaking out"
The Sergeant looked ut his watch.
eff there had been time. my lady," he an
swered, Il should have preferred writing my
report. instead Of communicating It by word or
mouth. But, IL this inquiry is to 60 on, time
Is Of too mnch importance to be wasted in
writing. I am ready to 60 into the matter at
once. Il isa very painful matter for me to
speak Of, and for you to hear"
There my mistress stopped him once more.
'I may possibly make Il less painful to you,
and to my good servant and friend here" she
said, "if I set the example Of speaking boldly
on my side. You suspect Miss Vcrinder Of de-
cciving US all by secreting the Diamond for
some purpose Of her owni Is that true"
"Quite true, my lady,"
every well. Now. before you begin, have
10 tell you, as Miss Verinder's mother. that she
Is absolutely incapable Of doing what you sup
pose her TO have done. Your knowledge Of her
character dates from day or two since. My
knowledge of her character dates from the DO
ginning Of her life. State your suspicion Of
her as strongly as you please-it Is impossible
that you can offend me by doing so. am sure,
beforehand, that with all your experience) the
circumstances have fatally misled you in this
case. Mind am In possession OF no private
information. am as absolutely shut out ofmy
daughters confidence rs you are. My one rea-
son for speaking positively is tho reason you
have heard already, know mychild."
She turned to me. and gave me her hand.
kissed II in silence. you may 60 on she said,
facing the Sergeant again as steadily as ever.
Sergeant Cuff bowed. My mistress had pro-
duccd but one effect on him. His hatchctfacc
softenel for amoment, rs II he was sorry for her.
As to shaking him in his own conviction. 1t was
plain to see that she had not moved him by q
single inch. lie settled himself in his chair,
and he began his vile attack on Miss Rachel's
character In these words: =.
Il must ask your ladyship,' he said, 'to look
this matter in the face, from my point Of view as
( veil a. from yours. VIII you please to suppose
yourself coming down here. IN my place. and
with my experienced and will you allow me to
mention very briefly what that experience has
becnr
My mistress signed to him that she would do
this. The Sergeant went on
For the last twenty years, he said, Il have
been largely employed In cases Of family scandal,
acting in the capacity Of confidential man. The
one result Of my domestic practice which h as
any bearing on the matter now in hand Is n
suit which may state in two words II is well
within my experience that young ladies Of rank
and position do occasionally have private debt;
which they dare not acknowledge to their near
est relatives and friends. Sometimes the milliner
haitian Of Snfnat inn
the money is wanted for purposes which don't
suspect In this case, and which won't shock
you by mentioning. Bear in mind what have
said, my lsly-and now let US sec how events
in this house have forced me back on my own
experience, whether liked II or not
lie considered with himself for moment. and
went on-with horrid clcarncss that forces
you to understand him ; with IN ubominabl'
justice that favored nobody.
My first information relating to the loss O
the Mvonstone,' said the Sergeant, came to m,
from Superintendent SccSru,e. Hoprovcd tt
my complete satisfaction that he was perfectly
incapable of managing the case. The ont
thing he said which struck me rs worth listen.
ing to was this-that Mis-. Verinder had declin-
oil to be questioned by him. and had spoken te
him with perfectly incomprehcnsiblc rudencss
and contempt. thought this curious-but
attributed II mainly to some clumsiness on the
Superntcndent's part which might have oaend-
ed the young lady. After that put II by In my
mind, and applied myself, singlc.handed. to
the case. Ii ended, rs you are aware, in the
discovery of the smear on the door. and in Mr..
Franklin Bake's evidence satisfying me that
this same smear, and the loss Of the Diamond,
were pieces of the same puIile. So far, II
suspected any thing, suspected that the Moon
stone had been stolen, and that one Of the ser
wants might prove TO be the thief. Very good.
In this state Of things, what happensi Miss
Verinder suddenly comes odt Of her room, and
speaks to me. observe three suspicious ap-
pcarances in that young lady. She Is still yio-
emily agitated, though more than four-and-
twenty hours have passed since the Diamond
was lost. She treats me as she has already
treated Superintendent Secgnve. And she Is
mortally offended with Mr.. Franklin Blake.
Very good again. Here II say to MYSELF is q
young lady who has lost valuable jewel-a
young lady, also, as my own eyes and ears in
form me, who Is OF an impetuous temperament.
Under these circumstances, and with that char
acter, what does she doi She betrays an In.
comprehensive resentment against MIR. Blake.
Mr.. Superintendent, and myself-otherwise, the
very three people who have all, in their differ
ent ways. been trying to help her to recover her
lost jewel. Having brought my inquiry to that
point-ihsn. my lady, and not till then, begin
TO look back into my own mind for my own
experience. My own experience explains Miss
Verinder's otherwise incomprehensible conduct.
II associates her with those other young ladies
that know Of. 1t tells me she has debts she
darcn't acknowledge, that must be paid. And
Il sets me asking myself, whether the loss Of the
Diamond may not mean-that the Diamond
must be secretly pledged to pay them. That Is
the conclusion which my experience draws nom
plain facts. What does your ladyshp's expo
riencc say against It'll
what have said already answered. my
mistress. The circumstances have misleiyou
Sergeant Cuff went on:
Right or wrong, my lady, he said, 'hayins
drawn my conc usion, the next thing to do was
to put Il to the test. suggested 10 your lady
ship the examination Of all the warlrobes In the
house. Itwas means Of finding the article Of