Here again, I felt that Betteredge must be right. Neither at home nor

abroad had my life ever been of the solitary sort. If I had been a

sleep-walker, there were hundreds on hundreds of people who must have

discovered me, and who, in the interest of my own safety, would have

warned me of the habit, and have taken precautions to restrain it.

Still, admitting all this, I clung--with an obstinacy which was surely

natural and excusable, under the circumstances--to one or other of

the only two explanations that I could see which accounted for the

unendurable position in which I then stood. Observing that I was not yet

satisfied, Betteredge shrewdly adverted to certain later events in the

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history of the Moonstone; and scattered both my theories to the wind at

once and for ever.

"Let's try it another way, sir," he said. "Keep your own opinion, and

see how far it will take you towards finding out the truth. If we are to

believe the nightgown--which I don't for one--you not only smeared

off the paint from the door, without knowing it, but you also took the

Diamond without knowing it. Is that right, so far?"

"Quite right. Go on."

"Very good, sir. We'll say you were drunk, or walking in your sleep,

when you took the jewel. That accounts for the night and morning, after

the birthday. But how does it account for what has happened since that

time? The Diamond has been taken to London, since that time. The Diamond

has been pledged to Mr. Luker, since that time. Did you do those two

things, without knowing it, too? Were you drunk when I saw you off in

the pony-chaise on that Saturday evening? And did you walk in your sleep

to Mr. Luker's, when the train had brought you to your journey's end?

Excuse me for saying it, Mr. Franklin, but this business has so upset

you, that you're not fit yet to judge for yourself. The sooner you lay

your head alongside Mr. Bruff's head, the sooner you will see your way

out of the dead-lock that has got you now."

We reached the station, with only a minute or two to spare.

I hurriedly gave Betteredge my address in London, so that he might write

to me, if necessary; promising, on my side, to inform him of any news

which I might have to communicate. This done, and just as I was bidding

him farewell, I happened to glance towards the book-and-newspaper stall.

There was Mr. Candy's remarkable-looking assistant again, speaking to

the keeper of the stall! Our eyes met at the same moment. Ezra Jennings

took off his hat to me. I returned the salute, and got into a carriage

just as the train started. It was a relief to my mind, I suppose, to

dwell on any subject which appeared to be, personally, of no sort of

importance to me. At all events, I began the momentous journey back

which was to take me to Mr. Bruff, wondering--absurdly enough, I

admit--that I should have seen the man with the piebald hair twice in

one day!




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