"Surely you forget," I said, "that the whole thing is essentially a

matter of the past--so far as I am concerned?"

"Answer me this," retorted Mr. Bruff. "Is the Moonstone at the bottom of

all the mischief--or is it not?"

"It is--of course."

"Very good. What do we believe was done with the Moonstone, when it was

taken to London?"

"It was pledged to Mr. Luker."

"We know that you are not the person who pledged it. Do we know who

did?"

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"No."

"Where do we believe the Moonstone to be now?"

"Deposited in the keeping of Mr. Luker's bankers."

"Exactly. Now observe. We are already in the month of June. Towards

the end of the month (I can't be particular to a day) a year will have

elapsed from the time when we believe the jewel to have been pledged.

There is a chance--to say the least--that the person who pawned it, may

be prepared to redeem it when the year's time has expired. If he

redeems it, Mr. Luker must himself--according to the terms of his own

arrangement--take the Diamond out of his banker's hands. Under these

circumstances, I propose setting a watch at the bank, as the present

month draws to an end, and discovering who the person is to whom Mr.

Luker restores the Moonstone. Do you see it now?"

I admitted (a little unwillingly) that the idea was a new one, at any

rate.

"It's Mr. Murthwaite's idea quite as much as mine," said Mr. Bruff. "It

might have never entered my head, but for a conversation we had together

some time since. If Mr. Murthwaite is right, the Indians are likely to

be on the lookout at the bank, towards the end of the month too--and

something serious may come of it. What comes of it doesn't matter to

you and me except as it may help us to lay our hands on the mysterious

Somebody who pawned the Diamond. That person, you may rely on it, is

responsible (I don't pretend to know how) for the position in which

you stand at this moment; and that person alone can set you right in

Rachel's estimation."

"I can't deny," I said, "that the plan you propose meets the difficulty

in a way that is very daring, and very ingenious, and very new. But----"

"But you have an objection to make?"

"Yes. My objection is, that your proposal obliges us to wait."

"Granted. As I reckon the time, it requires you to wait about a

fortnight--more or less. Is that so very long?"

"It's a life-time, Mr. Bruff, in such a situation as mine. My existence

will be simply unendurable to me, unless I do something towards clearing

my character at once."

"Well, well, I understand that. Have you thought yet of what you can

do?"




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