The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-11-26

when patience Is all that. wanted 70 arrive al
the TRUTH Don't interrupt me, Rachel's con.
duct IL perfectly ineligible. What do We know
We know that the loss Of the Moonstone, or
Thursday morning last, threw her into stat,
Of nervous excitement from which she has moi
recovered yet. Now. being in state Of nerv.
Gus excitement, how are we to expect that she
should behave as she might otherwise have be
hsyed to any Of the people about her'
My head was by this time in such q condi-
ton that was not quite sure whether II wa
my own head or Mr.. Franklin's In this deplor.
able state contrfved to do, what take to have
been, three Objective things. got Mr.. Frank
lin his sherry !, retired to my own room; and
solaced myself with the most composing pipe
Of tobacco ever remember to have smoked In
my life.
Don't suppose, however, that was quit oi
Mr.. Franklin on such easy terms As these
Drifting again out OF the morning-room ints
the hall be found his way to the Offices next
smelt my pipe. and was instantly reminded tha,
he had been simple enough to give up smoking
for Miss Rachel's sake In the twinkling Of al
eye he burst in on me with his cigsr-case, and
in his neat, witty, unbeleving, French way
'Giye me light. Bcttere,lge. Is il conceivable
that man can have smoked rs long rs have
without discovering that there is complete
system for the treatment Of women at the bot
tom Of his cigar-casel' Follow me carefully
and I'll prove II in two words. You choose q
cigar, you try IL, and II disappoints you. wha,
do you do upon thatl You throw II away and
try another. Now observe the application
You choose woman, you try her, and she
breaks your heassf Fool take q lesson from
your cigar-case. Throw her away and try an
other.
shook my head at that. Wonderfully clev.
er, dare say, but my own experience was dead
against Il. "In the time Of the late Mrs. Bet.
tercdge," said, 81 felt pretty often inclined t.
try your philosophy, Mr.. Franklin. But III,
law insists on your smoking your cigar, sir
when you once have chosen it, pointed thai
observation with wink. Mr.. Franklin burst
out langhing-and we were as merry rs crck.
cts, until the next new side Of his character
turned up in due course. So things went on
with my young master and me and 30 (whils
the Sergeant and the gardener were wrangling
over the roses) we two spent the interval before
the news came back from Frizinghall.
The pony-chaise returned good half hour
before had veutured TO expect it. My lady
hal decided TO remain, for the present, ut her
sisters house. The groom brought two letters
from his mistress; one addressed TO Mr.. Frank
lin, and the other TO me.
Mr.. Fnukln's letter sent to him in the H.
brary-into which refuge his iriftings had nov
taken him for the second time. My own letter
/ read in my own room. A check, which drop
ped out when opened IL. informed (before
had mastered the contents) that Sergeant Cuff
dismissal from the inquiry after the Moonstont
was now n settled thing.
l sent to the conservatory to say that wished
to speak to the Sergeant directly. He appeared
with his mind full Of the gardener and the dog.
rUse. declaring that the equal of Mr.. Bcgbie for
obstinacy never had existed yet, and never would
exist again. requested him to dismiss such
wretched trihing as this from our conversation,
and to give his best attention TO really serious
matter. Upon that he exerted himself sufficient
ly to notice the letter In my hand. "Ah " he
said in u weary way, "you have heard from her
ladyship. Have l anything to do with 1t, Mr..
Betterenge''
"You shall judge for yourself. Sergeant"
thereupon read him the letter with my best en-
phasis and discretion), in the following words:
.MY GOOD GABRIEL,-I request you will inform
Sergeant Cuff that have performed the promise
made to him with this result, so far a. Rosanns
Spearman Is concerned. Miss Verindcr solemnly
declares that sho has never spoken q word In pri
yate to Rosanna, since that unhappy woman first
entered my house. They never met, even accident
ally, ON the night when the Diamond was lost and
no communication OF any sort whatever took place
between them, from the Thursday morning whom
tho alarm was first raised In the house, TO this pres
cnt Saturday afternoon when iiSs Verlnder lcft us
After telling my daughter, suddenly and In so many
words, of Rosanna sPearman's sucide-this Is what
come Of it."
Having reached that point looked up and
asked Sergeant Cuff what he thought of the
letter. 50 fart
"I should only offend you IL expressed my
opinion. answered the Sergeant. eco on, Mr..
Bettereige," he said, with the most eIaspcra..
ing resignation ego on"
When remembered that this man had had
the audsity to complain Of our gardeners obsti.
macy my tongue itched to ego on" in other
words than my mistress's This time, however,
my Christianity held firm. l proceeicd stead.
lily with her ladyship's letter:
"Iavins appealed to Miss verinder in the man
which tho officer thought most desirable, spoke
10 her next In the manner which | myself thought
most likely to impress her. On two different occa
warned h0T that she was exposing herself 10 suspi
cion Of the most uncomfortable and most degrading
kind ] have now told her, In the plainest terms,
that my apprehonsons have been Realised. He
"lIsr answer 10 this, on her own solemn afirma-
ton, u as plain aS words can be. In the first place
she owes no money privately TO any living creature
In the second place, the Diamond Is not now, and
into hor cabinet ON Wednesday night
''rhe confidence which my daughter has placed
in me goes no farther than this. She maintains an
obstinate silence when ask her IL sho can explain
the disappearance Of the Diamond. She refuses,
with tears, when 1 appeal To her to speak out or
my sake. The day will como when you will know
why am careless about being SUSPECTED, and why
am silent even 10 you. have done much 10 make
my mother pity me-nothing 70 make my mother
blush Tor me- Thcse arc my dsug ghtcr's own words,
''After what has passed between tho officer and
me, think-stranger rs ho is-that he should be
made acquainted with what Miss yerindcr has said
as we'll as you. Read my letter to him, and then
place In his hands the check which 1 inclose. In
rcstgning all further claim On his services, have
only ~ say thai am convinced Of his honesty and
his intelligenoei but am moro firmly persuaded
than ever that the circumstances In this case, have
fatally misled him." =. er.f.
There the letter ended. Before presenting the
check, l asked Sergeant Cuff IL he had any re-
mark TO make.
ats no part OF my duty, Mr.. Bettercdsc, 50
he answered, 'to make remarks on case when
L nave uone Win III.
tosscl the check across the table to him.
"Do You believe In that part OF her ladyship's
letter!" said. indignantly.
The Sergeant looked at the check, and lifted
his dismal eyebrows In acknowledgement Of her
ladyship's libcrality.
"This Is such generous estimate Of the val
ne Of my time" he said. "that feel bound to
make some return for Il. I'll bear in mind the
amount in this check, Mr.. Bettercdge, when
the time comes round for remembering It."
"whst do you mean :" asked.
"Her ladyship has smoothed matters over for
the present very cleverly," said the Sergeant.
"But his family scandal Is Of the sort that
bursts mp again when yvu least expect Il. We
shall have more detective business on our hands,
ar, before the Moonstone Is many months old
err"
II those words meant anything, AMI 10 the
manner in which he spoke them meant anything
lit came to this. Ny MISTRESS letter had
proved, TO his mind. that Miss Rachel was hard
ened enough to resist the strongest appeal that
could be ADDRESSED to her, and that she had de-
ceived her own mother (gcod God, under what