The Moonstone - Page 269/404

"'How do you know that?' I asked.

"'I was with Miss Rachel, and Mr. Franklin, all yesterday morning,'

Penelope said, 'mixing the colours, while they finished the door. I

heard Miss Rachel ask whether the door would be dry that evening, in

time for the birthday company to see it. And Mr. Franklin shook his

head, and said it wouldn't be dry in less than twelve hours. It was long

past luncheon-time--it was three o'clock before they had done. What does

your arithmetic say, Rosanna? Mine says the door was dry by three this

morning.' "'Did some of the ladies go up-stairs yesterday evening to see it?' I

asked. 'I thought I heard Miss Rachel warning them to keep clear of the

door.' "'None of the ladies made the smear,' Penelope answered. 'I left Miss

Rachel in bed at twelve last night. And I noticed the door, and there

was nothing wrong with it then.' "'Oughtn't you to mention this to Mr. Seegrave, Penelope?' "'I wouldn't say a word to help Mr. Seegrave for anything that could be

offered to me!' "She went to her work, and I went to mine."

"My work, sir, was to make your bed, and to put your room tidy. It was

the happiest hour I had in the whole day. I used to kiss the pillow on

which your head had rested all night. No matter who has done it since,

you have never had your clothes folded as nicely as I folded them for

you. Of all the little knick-knacks in your dressing-case, there wasn't

one that had so much as a speck on it. You never noticed it, any more

than you noticed me. I beg your pardon; I am forgetting myself. I will

make haste, and go on again.

"Well, I went in that morning to do my work in your room. There was your

nightgown tossed across the bed, just as you had thrown it off. I took

it up to fold it--and I saw the stain of the paint from Miss Rachel's

door!

"I was so startled by the discovery that I ran out with the nightgown

in my hand, and made for the back stairs, and locked myself into my own

room, to look at it in a place where nobody could intrude and interrupt

me.

"As soon as I got my breath again, I called to mind my talk with

Penelope, and I said to myself, 'Here's the proof that he was in

Miss Rachel's sitting-room between twelve last night, and three this

morning!' "I shall not tell you in plain words what was the first suspicion that

crossed my mind, when I had made that discovery. You would only be

angry--and, if you were angry, you might tear my letter up and read no

more of it.