The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-10-15

, 81 beg to congratulate you for the third tin
. IL you ever feel inclined to travel beyond {
ciyiliied limits, Mr.. Blake, let me know, ant
Will 90 with you. You are lucky man."
Here struck In. This sort Of thing didr
. ct al square with my English ideas.
"fou don't really mean to say. Sir, aske
.that they would have taken Mr.. Franklin
NE. to get their Diamond, II he had given the
traveller.
"Ycs, Sir"
u "Do you care much for the ashes left In 20,
pipe when you empty iti''
Il "No, Sir"
Il "In the country those men came from the
care just as much about killing q man as 70
care about emptying the ashes out Of your pip
II q thousand lives stood between them and II
| getting back Of their Diamond-aud II the
thought they could destroy those lives withou
discOyery-they would take them oil. The saori
nee OF caste Is serious thing In India, II yo
like. The sacrifice Of life Is nothing at ALL"
Iexpressed my opinion upon this that the
were Set Of numbering thieves. Mr.. Muir
thwaite expressed his opinion that they were
wonderful people. Mr.. Franklin, expressing n
opinion at all, brought US back to the matter Il
hand.
"They have seen the Moonstone on Mis-
verindcr's Dress" he said. "What Is to b,
donei''
"what your uncle threatened to do, answer
Cd Mr.. Murthwaite. "Colonel Herncastle under
stood the people he had to deal with. Send the
Diamond tomorrow (under guard Of more than
one many to be cut up ut Amsterdam. Max,
half dozen diamonds Of II instead Of one
Theirs Is an end Of its sacred identity rs The
Moonstone-and there Is an end of the con-
spiracy."
Mr.. Franklin turned to me.
''Therc is no help for it, he said. "wc mus,
speak to Lady Verinder tomorrow"
"What about tonight, Sir 7" | asked. "Sup-
pose the Indians come back 7"
Mr.. Murthwaite answered me before Mr..
Franklin could speak.
''The Indians won't risk coming back To-
night" he said. "rhe direct way Is hardly
ever the way they take to any thing-let alone
matter like this, In which the slightest mistake
might be fatal to their reaching their end"
"But suppose the rogues are bolder than you
think, Sir" persisted.
''In that case" says Mr.. Murthwaite, "let
the dogs loose. Have you got any big dogs In
the yardl''
"Two, Sir. A mastif and a bloodhound"
"They will do In the present emergency,
Mr.. Bettercdge, the mastif and the bloodhound
have one great merit-they arc no, likely to be
troubled with your scruplcs nbout the sanctity
of human life"
The strumming Of the piano reached us from
the drawing-room as he fired that shot at me.
He threw away his cheroot, and took Mr.. Frank
Inns arm, to 90 back 10 the ladies. noticed
that the sky was clouding over fast MS followed
them to the house. Mr.. Murthwaite noticed Il
too, lie looked round at me in his dry, droll-
ing way, and said:
"Tbe Indians will want their umbrellas, Mr..
Bettercdge, tonight
II was all very we'll for him to joke. But
...-.Cs- eminent traveller; and my way in
this world had not led nic II .;.. ducks
and brakes with my own life among thieves anC
murdcrers In the outlandish places Of the earth
:, ! went Into my own little room, and sat down IL
fny chair In perspiution, AMI wondered help
lessly what was to be done next In this anx
ious frame Of mind other men might have cndet
by working themselves up into fever; endet
In different way. l lit my pipe, and took |
turn ut Robinson Crusoc.
Before had been at II five minutes came Il
this amazing bit-pagc one hundred and sixty
onc-as follows:
"Fear of Danger Is ten thousand times NOR
terrifying than Danger itself, when apparent Il
the eyes; and we find the Burthen Of Anxiety
greater, by much, than the Evil which VIC an
anxious about"
The man who doesn't believe In Robinson
Crusoc after that Is a man with a screw loose In
his understanding, or man lost In the mist o.
his own sclf-conceit Argument Is thrown away
upon him and pity Is better reserved for som,
person with q lvelier faith.
| was far on with my second pipe, and still
lost In admiration of that wonderful book, wher
Penelope (who had been handing round the tea,
came in with her report from the drawing room
She had left the Douncers singing duet-word'
beginning with large "O," and music to cor
respond. She had observed that my lady mad
mistakes in her game Of whist for the first tim
in our experience OF her. She had seen tn
great traveller asleep In corner. She had over
heard Mr.. Franklin sharpening his wits on MIR
Godfrey, ut the expense OF Ladies' Charities II
general and she had noticed that Mr.. Godfrc,
hit him back again rather more smartly thar
became gentleman of his benevolent character
She had detected Miss Rachel, apparently en-
gagged In appcasing Mrs. Thrcaigall by showing
her some photographs, and really occupied II
stealing looks at Mr.. Franklin, which ID intelli
gent lady's maid could misinterpret for singl,
Instant. Finally, she had missed Mr.. Candy
the doctor, pho had mysisriously disappearet
from the draping-roona and had then mysieri-
ously returned, and entered into conversation
with Mr.. Godfrey. Upon the whole, things wer
prospering better than the experience of the din
ner gave us any right to expect. II we coulc
only hold on for another hour, old Father Tim
would bring up their carriages, and relieve u,
of them altogether.
Everything wears of In this world and evci
the comforting effect Of Robinson Crusoe wor
oil after Penelope left me. I got fdgety again
and resolved on making survey of the ground
before the rain came. Instead Of taking tn
footman, whose nose was human, and therefor
with me. His nose for q stranger was to be de
Peuuo 1n. We went ~, round tue P'eu'ses
auu out in'o ue road-ahd returneu S "sc
VIC went, having discovered no such thing as
lurking human creature anywhere. l chainc'