The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-01-14


Mr.. Murthwaits was not IN easy man 70 astonishI
him. Idescribed what had happened 70 Mr., LukeI,
have described it here. 1T is clear that the In
dams parting inquiry had an Object ! addsd
at which borrower Of money is usually privileged
Il. i possible that you don't zee his motive, Mr..
BruGi' .c-
but certainly don't see r.
The great traveller became quito intetested In
sounding the immense vsouity OF my duiinsss 70
It, lowest depths. Az,
what poscn s dSs: Sss the Sss 70 ss. the
hoonstone now staudf'
:. y ssnt NY answered. The Indian plot Is
Tn. Indian plot. Mr.. Bruf. can only be mys-
terry 70 you, because you have never serioasLy
examined IT, Shall We run II over together. from
the time when you drew Colonel Herncastlss VII,
In Ia W your position, Il may be oi very serious i'm.
portance 10 the interests OF Miss Yerinder thstyou
should be able TO take o clear view OF this matter
In case OF need. Tell me, bearing that In MIND,
yourselfi or whether you wish me 70 ave you the
trouble OF making any inquiry Into tt
II is needless 10 ssy that ! thoroughly appre.
Sd the e: Snoa q ss i've s.r s
natives Was the alternative chose. ..I. ..l. r.r
Very good.' said Mr. Marthwaito. We viii
take the question Of the ages Of the three INDIANS
nrst I can testify that they all look much about
the same sge-and you can decide Tor yoursen'
n Ehss'r sss pI%. ns a % Hs0n Nj sGq 1
idea too. We will say not forty. Now LOOK back
at the time when Colonel Herncastle came 70 EngS
land, and when you were concerned IN the pAn no
adopted TO preserve his life. don't want you 70
count the years. will only say. It Il clear that
these present Indians, at their age, must be the
successors OF three other Indians (hlgh cast Biah-
minis all OF them, Mr.. Brutf, when they lsn tne,I y.
native country y who followed the Colonel 70
these shores. Very we'll. These present men OF
ours have succeeded TO the men who were mere
before them. If they had only done that, the
matter would not have been worth inquirins into;
TO the organisation which thcir predecessors %
tabli.hed In this country. Don't start The or.
ganiIation 10 . very trumpery anAir. according W
our ideas, have no doubt ! should reckon y W
when needed, OF that shady sort Of Engiishnan,
who lives In tho by-ways Of foreign life In London,
aud. lastly, the secret sympathy OF such lew men
OF their own country and Qormerly, at LEAST OF
Numbering To some OF the multitudlnoui wants Of
this great city. Nothing very formidable, - you
see But worth notice at starting, becausc We
dian As We 20 on. Having no. CLEARED
inS sssecs sS your % sIpsrsscs @ to answer What wa,
the event which gave the indians their nra''h"n0o
OF seising the Diamondp
] understood the allusion TO my experience.
'The FIRST chance they got' replied, was clearly
offered TO them by Colonel Hsrncastles aea.n.
They would be aware Of his death, suppose As
matter OF coursel'
'As q matter of course And his death. a. you
say, gave them their frat chance. UP 70 that
time The Moonstone was safe In the strong room OF
,h bank You drew the tSs % r w proved
the usual WAY, As a lawyer, you oan DO ~ no Joss
10 know what course the indians would take Gun
der English advice) after thai:
'They will provide themselves with copy OIL
win IRON Doctors Commons,' said:
'Rxactiy. One or other of those shady English.
men TO whom have alluded, would get them the
copy you have described. That copy would IN
the daughter Of Lady Vsrindsr. and thai Mr. BIako
the elder. or some person appointed by him. was
70 place II in her hands. You will agree with me
that the inio,naton about Si.te
would be perfectly easy Information 70 osta,n.
The one difculty for the Indians would DO 70 Do
eide, whether they should mako their attempt on
the Diamond when II was In course OF removal
from the keeping OF the bank, or whether thsy
should walt until 10 was taken down TO Yorhshlre
TO Lady Verinders house The second way woslo
tss Ss saplsnsion mo Of the Of Indian:
at Friiinghall, disguished % juggiers ana waiting
their time. In London. IL 10 needless 70 say they
had their organization at their disposal 70 keep
One 10 follow any body who went from kr. B!akes
house to tho bank And one 10 treat the lover
men.servants with beer, and 10 hear the news OF
the house. These commonplace precautions @ would
been 10 the bank. and that Mfr. Franklin Blake was
tho only person In the house who was going 70
visit Lady yerinder. What actually followed
SpiIo as Correctly as do
/ remembered that Franklin Blake had detected
one Of tho splos In the street-that he bad IN con.
sequence, advanced the time OF his arrival ~
Yorkshire by some hours and that Qhanksto old
Betteredge's excellent udvlce) he had lodged tho
Diamond In the bank at Prilnghall before the
Indians were SO much as prepared TO see him In
the neighborhood. All perfectly clear 80 ar. But.
the Indians being Ignorant OF the precaution thus
taken. how was II that they had made no attempt
on Lady verinder's house (in which they must have
supposed the Diamond 10 be) through the whole
Of the interval that elapsed before Rschels brth-
dayl
thought IL right TO add that l had heard Of the
little boy and the drop Of Ink, and the rost Of II,
and that any explanation based on the theory OF
clairvoyance was an exp anation which wonld
carry no conviction whatever with It, to my mind.
Nor to mine cilher,' said Mr.. Murthwaito. Tho
claryoyance In this case is simply development
OF the romantic side Of the Indian character. IL
would be n reffeshment and m eneourage cement TO
those men-quite inconceivable, grant you. 10
the English mind-t0 surround their wesrisome
and perilous errand In this country with certain
halo of the marvellous and the supernatural. Their
boy Is unquestionably sensitive subject TO the
mesmcric inaucnce-and, under that influence, no
has no doubt reflected what was already In tho
mind OF the person mesmeriring him ! have
tested the theory OF clairyoyancc-and j have
never found the manifestations get beyond that
point. The Indians don't investigate the matter
Ia this way the Indians look upon their boy rs q
Seer Of things invisible TO their eyes-and repeat,
In that marvel they nnd The source OF new Inter.
est In the purpose that unites them. only notice
this as Offering o curious view Of human character.
which must be qnite new 10 you. We have nothing
whatever TO do with clairvoyance, or with mes
merism, or with any thing else that 10 hard Of be-
lief TO q practical man: In the inquiry that We arc
now pursuing. Ny object In following. the Indian
plot step by step, Is TO trace results back by ra-
uonai means, 70 natural causes. Have succeeded
TO your satisfaction, 80 fArp
Not doubt OF II, Nr Murthwaitsi 1 am wait-
ing, however. with some anxiety, to hear the ra-
tlonai explanation OF the difficulty which have
lust had the honor OF submitting 20 you
Mr.. Murthwaite smiled. 'lrs the easiest din.
Guilty TO deal with Of ALL, he said. Permit me TO
begin by admitting your statement Of tho case as
perfectly correct one. The Indians were undoubt
ediy not aware OF what SIR. Franklin Blako had
done with the Dlamond-for we nnd them making z
their first mistake on the nrst night Of Mr. Blakss
arrival at his aunts house.
Their first mistakep repeated.
Certainly! Tho mistake OF allowing themselves
10 be surprised lurking about the terrace at night
ny merit % seeing Sr tSeS.elVs, that they had taken
false step-for, as you say, again. with plenty OF
time ut their disposal, they never came near the
house for weeks afterward.' .........
why, Mr.. Murthwaite' That's what want TO
know! Why!'
because no Indian, Mr. Bruff. ever runs an un.
necessary risk. The clause you drew In Colonel
Ilerncastles Will, Informed them didn't II that
the Moonstone was 10 pass absolutely Into Miss
Yerinder's possession on her birthday. Very we'll.
Tell me which was the latest course Tor men In
their positioni To make their attempt on the
Diamond while it was under the control or MT
Franklin Blake who had shown already that he
could suspect and outwit themi 0rtowsit I'LL the
Diamond was ut the disposal ot young girl, who
would innocently delight In wearing the fnagnid-
cent Jewel at every possible opportunity Perhaps
you want proof that my theory Ia correcti Take
the conduct Of the Indians themselves the proof
They appeared at the house. alter waiting all those
weeks. on Miss verinder's birthday and they were
rewarded 10. the patient accuracy o their ealcula-
tions by seeing the Moonstone In the bosom OF her
dress! When Ihesrd the story OF the Colonel INA
the Diamond, later In the evening, felt % sure
about the risk Mr. Franklin Blake had run (thsy
would have certainly attacked him, if he had not
happened to ride back TO Lady ycrinders 10 the
company OF other people, and ! Was 90 strongly
con rnced OF the wor risks still In ,tors Tor Mis-
verinder. that recommended following the Colo
nel's plan. and destroying the identity OF the gem
by having u eus Into separate stones How .s eh.