第59章

`There can't be a doubt about it,' answered the Sergeant.`Ask Mr.Betteredge.'

It was no use asking me.All they got out of me was, `Good night.'

`Bother the money!' says Mrs.Yolland.With these words, she appeared to lose all command over herself; and, making a sudden snatch at the heap of silver, put it back, holus-bolus, in her pocket.`It upsets one's temper, it does, to see it lying there, and nobody taking it,' cries this unreasonable woman, sitting down with a thump, and looking at Sergeant Cuff, as much as to say, `It's in my pocket again now--get it out if you can!'

This time, I not only went to the door, but went fairly out on the road back.Explain it how you may, I felt as if one or both of them had mortally offended me.Before I had taken three steps down the village, I heard the Sergeant behind me.

`Thank you for your introduction, Mr.Betteredge,' he said.`I am indebted to the fisherman's wife for an entirely new sensation.Mrs.Yolland has puzzled me.'

It was on the tip of my tongue to have given him a sharp answer, for no better reason than this--that I was out of temper with him, because I was out of temper with myself.But when he owned to being puzzled, a comforting doubt crossed my mind whether any great harm had been done after all.I waited in discreet silence to hear more.

`Yes,' says the Sergeant, as if he was actually reading my thoughts in the dark.`Instead of putting me on the scent, it may console you to know, Mr.Betteredge (with your interest in Rosanna), that you have been the means of throwing me off.What the girl has done, to-night, is clear enough, of course.She has joined the two chains, and has fastened them to the hasp in the tin case.She has sunk the case, in the water or in the quicksand.She has made the loose end of the chain fast to some place under the rocks, known only to herself.And she will leave the case secure at its anchorage till the present proceedings have come to an end; after which she can privately pull it up again out of its hiding-place, at her own leisure and convenience.All perfectly plain, so far.But,' says the Sergeant, with the first tone of impatience in his voice that I had heard yet, `the mystery is--what the devil has she hidden in the tin case?'

I thought to myself, `The Moonstone!' But I only said to Sergeant Cuff, `Can't you guess?'

`It's not the Diamond,' says the Sergeant.`The whole experience of my life is at fault, if Rosanna Spearman has got the Diamond.'

On hearing those words, the infernal detective-fever began, I suppose, to burn in me again.At any rate, I forgot myself in the interest of guessing this new riddle.I said rashly, `The stained dress!'

Sergeant Cuff stopped short in the dark, and laid his hand on my arm.

`Is anything thrown into that quicksand of yours, ever thrown up on the surface again?' he asked.

`Never,' I answered.`Light or heavy, whatever goes into the Shivering Sand is sucked down, and seen no more.'

`Does Rosanna Spearman know that?'

`She knows it as well as I do.'

`Then,' says the Sergeant, `what on earth has she got to do but to tie up a bit of stone in the stained dress, and throw it into the quicksand?