A little before eleven Mr. Franklin came back. The resolute side of him

had, to all appearance, given way, in the interval since his departure,

under the stress that had been laid on it. He had left us at a gallop;

he came back to us at a walk. When he went away, he was made of iron.

When he returned, he was stuffed with cotton, as limp as limp could be.

"Well," says my lady, "are the police coming?"

"Yes," says Mr. Franklin; "they said they would follow me in a fly.

Superintendent Seegrave, of your local police force, and two of his men.

A mere form! The case is hopeless."

"What! have the Indians escaped, sir?" I asked.

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"The poor ill-used Indians have been most unjustly put in prison," says

Mr. Franklin. "They are as innocent as the babe unborn. My idea that

one of them was hidden in the house has ended, like all the rest of my

ideas, in smoke. It's been proved," says Mr. Franklin, dwelling with

great relish on his own incapacity, "to be simply impossible."

After astonishing us by announcing this totally new turn in the matter

of the Moonstone, our young gentleman, at his aunt's request, took a

seat, and explained himself.

It appeared that the resolute side of him had held out as far as

Frizinghall. He had put the whole case plainly before the magistrate,

and the magistrate had at once sent for the police. The first inquiries

instituted about the Indians showed that they had not so much as

attempted to leave the town. Further questions addressed to the police,

proved that all three had been seen returning to Frizinghall with their

boy, on the previous night between ten and eleven--which (regard being

had to hours and distances) also proved that they had walked straight

back after performing on our terrace. Later still, at midnight, the

police, having occasion to search the common lodging-house where they

lived, had seen them all three again, and their little boy with them,

as usual. Soon after midnight I myself had safely shut up the house.

Plainer evidence than this, in favour of the Indians, there could not

well be. The magistrate said there was not even a case of suspicion

against them so far. But, as it was just possible, when the police came

to investigate the matter, that discoveries affecting the jugglers might

be made, he would contrive, by committing them as rogues and vagabonds,

to keep them at our disposal, under lock and key, for a week. They had

ignorantly done something (I forget what) in the town, which barely

brought them within the operation of the law. Every human institution

(justice included) will stretch a little, if you only pull it the right

way. The worthy magistrate was an old friend of my lady's, and the

Indians were "committed" for a week, as soon as the court opened that

morning.




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