The Moonstone - Page 34/404

"Did the Colonel give any reason, sir," I inquired, "why he left the

Diamond to Miss Rachel?"

"He not only gave the reason--he had the reason written in his

will," said Mr. Franklin. "I have got an extract, which you shall see

presently. Don't be slovenly-minded, Betteredge! One thing at a time.

You have heard about the Colonel's Will; now you must hear what happened

after the Colonel's death. It was formally necessary to have the Diamond

valued, before the Will could be proved. All the jewellers consulted,

at once confirmed the Colonel's assertion that he possessed one of the

largest diamonds in the world. The question of accurately valuing it

presented some serious difficulties. Its size made it a phenomenon in

the diamond market; its colour placed it in a category by itself; and,

to add to these elements of uncertainty, there was a defect, in the

shape of a flaw, in the very heart of the stone. Even with this last

serious draw-back, however, the lowest of the various estimates given

was twenty thousand pounds. Conceive my father's astonishment! He had

been within a hair's-breadth of refusing to act as executor, and of

allowing this magnificent jewel to be lost to the family. The interest

he took in the matter now, induced him to open the sealed instructions

which had been deposited with the Diamond. Mr. Bruff showed this

document to me, with the other papers; and it suggests (to my mind)

a clue to the nature of the conspiracy which threatened the Colonel's

life."

"Then you do believe, sir," I said, "that there was a conspiracy?"

"Not possessing my father's excellent common sense," answered Mr.

Franklin, "I believe the Colonel's life was threatened, exactly as the

Colonel said. The sealed instructions, as I think, explain how it was

that he died, after all, quietly in his bed. In the event of his death

by violence (that is to say, in the absence of the regular letter from

him at the appointed date), my father was then directed to send the

Moonstone secretly to Amsterdam. It was to be deposited in that city

with a famous diamond-cutter, and it was to be cut up into from four to

six separate stones. The stones were then to be sold for what they

would fetch, and the proceeds were to be applied to the founding of that

professorship of experimental chemistry, which the Colonel has since

endowed by his Will. Now, Betteredge, exert those sharp wits of yours,

and observe the conclusion to which the Colonel's instructions point!"

I instantly exerted my wits. They were of the slovenly English sort; and

they consequently muddled it all, until Mr. Franklin took them in hand,

and pointed out what they ought to see.

"Remark," says Mr. Franklin, "that the integrity of the Diamond, as a

whole stone, is here artfully made dependent on the preservation from

violence of the Colonel's life. He is not satisfied with saying to the

enemies he dreads, 'Kill me--and you will be no nearer to the Diamond

than you are now; it is where you can't get at it--in the guarded

strong-room of a bank.' He says instead, 'Kill me--and the Diamond will

be the Diamond no longer; its identity will be destroyed.' What does

that mean?"