The Moonstone - Page 122/404

Nothing happened in the night; and (I am happy to add) no attempt at

communication between Miss Rachel and Rosanna rewarded the vigilance of

Sergeant Cuff.

I had expected the Sergeant to set off for Frizinghall the first thing

in the morning. He waited about, however, as if he had something else

to do first. I left him to his own devices; and going into the grounds

shortly after, met Mr. Franklin on his favourite walk by the shrubbery

side.

Before we had exchanged two words, the Sergeant unexpectedly joined

us. He made up to Mr. Franklin, who received him, I must own, haughtily

enough. "Have you anything to say to me?" was all the return he got for

politely wishing Mr. Franklin good morning.

"I have something to say to you, sir," answered the Sergeant, "on the

subject of the inquiry I am conducting here. You detected the turn

that inquiry was really taking, yesterday. Naturally enough, in your

position, you are shocked and distressed. Naturally enough, also, you

visit your own angry sense of your own family scandal upon Me."

"What do you want?" Mr. Franklin broke in, sharply enough.

"I want to remind you, sir, that I have at any rate, thus far, not been

PROVED to be wrong. Bearing that in mind, be pleased to remember, at

the same time, that I am an officer of the law acting here under the

sanction of the mistress of the house. Under these circumstances, is it,

or is it not, your duty as a good citizen, to assist me with any special

information which you may happen to possess?"

"I possess no special information," says Mr. Franklin.

Sergeant Cuff put that answer by him, as if no answer had been made.

"You may save my time, sir, from being wasted on an inquiry at a

distance," he went on, "if you choose to understand me and speak out."

"I don't understand you," answered Mr. Franklin; "and I have nothing to

say."

"One of the female servants (I won't mention names) spoke to you

privately, sir, last night."

Once more Mr. Franklin cut him short; once more Mr. Franklin answered,

"I have nothing to say."

Standing by in silence, I thought of the movement in the swing-door

on the previous evening, and of the coat-tails which I had seen

disappearing down the passage. Sergeant Cuff had, no doubt, just heard

enough, before I interrupted him, to make him suspect that Rosanna had

relieved her mind by confessing something to Mr. Franklin Blake.

This notion had barely struck me--when who should appear at the end of

the shrubbery walk but Rosanna Spearman in her own proper person! She

was followed by Penelope, who was evidently trying to make her retrace

her steps to the house. Seeing that Mr. Franklin was not alone, Rosanna

came to a standstill, evidently in great perplexity what to do next.

Penelope waited behind her. Mr. Franklin saw the girls as soon as I

saw them. The Sergeant, with his devilish cunning, took on not to have

noticed them at all. All this happened in an instant. Before either Mr.

Franklin or I could say a word, Sergeant Cuff struck in smoothly, with

an appearance of continuing the previous conversation.