This time I had no reason to complain of a want of attention on the

part of the person to whom I addressed myself. Ezra Jennings listened

patiently, even anxiously, until I had done.

"I am sorry to have raised your expectations, Mr. Blake, only to

disappoint them," he said. "Throughout the whole period of Mr. Candy's

illness, from first to last, not one word about the Diamond escaped his

lips. The matter with which I heard him connect your name has, I can

assure you, no discoverable relation whatever with the loss or the

recovery of Miss Verinder's jewel."

We arrived, as he said those words, at a place where the highway along

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which we had been walking branched off into two roads. One led to Mr.

Ablewhite's house, and the other to a moorland village some two or three

miles off. Ezra Jennings stopped at the road which led to the village.

"My way lies in this direction," he said. "I am really and truly sorry,

Mr. Blake, that I can be of no use to you."

His voice told me that he spoke sincerely. His soft brown eyes rested on

me for a moment with a look of melancholy interest. He bowed, and went,

without another word, on his way to the village.

For a minute or more I stood and watched him, walking farther and

farther away from me; carrying farther and farther away with him what I

now firmly believed to be the clue of which I was in search. He turned,

after walking on a little way, and looked back. Seeing me still standing

at the place where we had parted, he stopped, as if doubting whether I

might not wish to speak to him again. There was no time for me to reason

out my own situation--to remind myself that I was losing my opportunity,

at what might be the turning point of my life, and all to flatter

nothing more important than my own self-esteem! There was only time to

call him back first, and to think afterwards. I suspect I am one of the

rashest of existing men. I called him back--and then I said to myself,

"Now there is no help for it. I must tell him the truth!"

He retraced his steps directly. I advanced along the road to meet him.

"Mr. Jennings," I said. "I have not treated you quite fairly. My

interest in tracing Mr. Candy's lost recollection is not the interest of

recovering the Moonstone. A serious personal matter is at the bottom

of my visit to Yorkshire. I have but one excuse for not having dealt

frankly with you in this matter. It is more painful to me than I can

say, to mention to anybody what my position really is."




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