She now put it back in the drawer.
It went to my heart to see how her poor hand trembled--the hand that had loaded her old servant with benefits; the hand that, I pray God, may take mine, when my time comes, and I leave my place for ever!
"I had hoped," said my lady, very slowly and quietly, "to have recompensed your services, and to have parted with you without Miss Verinder's name having been openly mentioned between us as it has been mentioned now.
My nephew has probably said something of this, before you came into my room?"
"Mr. Blake gave his message, my lady.
And I gave Mr. Blake a reason----"
"It is needless to tell me your reason.
After what you have just said, you know as well as I do that you have gone too far to go back.
I owe it to myself, and I owe it to my child, to insist on your remaining here, and to insist on your speaking out."
The Sergeant looked at his watch.
"If there had been time, my lady," he answered, "I should have preferred writing my report, instead of communicating it by word of mouth.
But, if this inquiry is to go on, time is of too much importance to be wasted in writing.
I am ready to go into the matter at once.
It is a very painful matter for me to speak of, and for you to hear."
There my mistress stopped him once more.
"I may possibly make it less painful to you, and to my good servant and friend here," she said, "if I set the example of speaking boldly, on my side.
You suspect Miss Verinder of deceiving us all, by secreting the Diamond for some purpose of her own?
Is that true?"
"Quite true, my lady."
"Very well.
Now, before you begin, I have to tell you, as Miss Verinder's mother, that she is ABSOLUTELY INCAPABLE of doing what you suppose her to have done.
Your knowledge of her character dates from a day or two since.
My knowledge of her character dates from the beginning of her life.
State your suspicion of her as strongly as you please--it is impossible that you can offend me by doing so.
I am sure, beforehand, that (with all your experience) the circumstances have fatally misled you in this case.
Mind! I am in possession of no private information.
I am as absolutely shut out of my daughter's confidence as you are.
My one reason for speaking positively, is the reason you have heard already. I know my child."
She turned to me, and gave me her hand.
I kissed it in silence.
"You may go on," she said, facing the Sergeant again as steadily as ever.
Sergeant Cuff bowed.
My mistress had produced but one effect on him. His hatchet-face softened for a moment, as if he was sorry for her.
As to shaking him in his own conviction, it was plain to see that she had not moved him by a single inch.
He settled himself in his chair; and he began his vile attack on Miss Rachel's character in these words:
"I must ask your ladyship," he said, "to look this matter in the face, from my point of view as well as from yours.
Will you please to suppose yourself coming down here, in my place, and with my experience? and will you allow me to mention very briefly what that experience has been?"
My mistress signed to him that she would do this.
The Sergeant went on:
"For the last twenty years," he said, "I have been largely employed in cases of family scandal, acting in the capacity of confidential man.
The one result of my domestic practice which has any bearing on the matter now in hand, is a result which I may state in two words.
It is well within my experience, that young ladies of rank and position do occasionally have private debts which they dare not acknowledge to their nearest relatives and friends.
Sometimes, the milliner and the jeweller are at the bottom of it.
Sometimes, the money is wanted for purposes which I don't suspect in this case, and which I won't shock you by mentioning.
Bear in mind what I have said, my lady--and now let us see how events in this house have forced me back on my own experience, whether I liked it or not!"
He considered with himself for a moment, and went on--with a horrid clearness that obliged you to understand him; with an abominable justice that favoured nobody.
"My first information relating to the loss of the Moonstone," said the Sergeant, "came to me from Superintendent Seegrave.
He proved to my complete satisfaction that he was perfectly incapable of managing the case.
The one thing he said which struck me as worth listening to, was this--that Miss Verinder had declined to be questioned by him, and had spoken to him with a perfectly incomprehensible rudeness and contempt.
I thought this curious--but I attributed it mainly to some clumsiness on the Superintendent's part which might have offended the young lady.