In a minute more, Miss Rachel came downstairs--very nicely dressed in some soft yellow stuff, that set off her dark complexion, and clipped her tight (in the form of a jacket) round the waist.She had a smart little straw hat on her head, with a white veil twisted round it.She had primrose-coloured gloves that fitted her hands like a second skin.Her beautiful black hair looked as smooth as satin under her hat.Her little ears were like rosy shells--they had a pearl dangling from each of them.She came swiftly out to us, as straight as a lily on its stem, and as lithe and supple in every movement she made as a young cat.Nothing that I could discover was altered in her pretty face, but her eyes and her lips.Her eyes were brighter and fiercer than I liked to see; and her lips had so completely lost their colour and their smile that I hardly knew them again.She kissed her mother in a hasty and sudden manner on the cheek.She said, `Try to forgive me, mamma'--and then pulled down her veil over her face so vehemently that she tore it.In another moment she had run down the steps, and had rushed into the carriage as if it was a hiding-place.
Sergeant Cuff was just as quick on his side.He put Samuel back, and stood before Miss Rachel, with the open carriage door in his hand, at the instant when she settled herself in her place.
`What do you want?' says Miss Rachel, from behind her veil.
`I want to say one word to you, miss,' answered the Sergeant, `before you go.I can't presume to stop your paying a visit to your aunt.I can only venture to say that your leaving us, as things are now, puts an obstacle in the way of my recovering your Diamond.Please to understand that; and now decide for yourself whether you go or stay.'
Miss Rachel never even answered him.`Drive on, James!' she called out to the coachman.
Without another word, the Sergeant shut the carriage door.Just as he closed it, Mr.Franklin came running down the steps.`Good-bye, Rachel,'
he said, holding out his hand.
`Drive on!' cried Miss Rachel, louder than ever, and taking no more notice of Mr.Franklin than she had taken of Sergeant Cuff.
Mr.Franklin stepped back thunderstruck, as well he might be.The coachman, not knowing what to do, looked towards my lady, still standing immovable on the top step.My lady, with anger and sorrow and shame all struggling together in her face, made him a sign to start the horses, and then turned back hastily into the house.Mr.Franklin, recovering the use of his speech, called after her, as the carriage drove off, `Aunt! you were quite right.
Accept my thanks for all your kindness--and let me go.'
My lady turned as though to speak to him.Then, as if distrusting herself, waved her hand kindly.`Let me see you, before you leave us, Franklin,'
she said, in a broken voice--and went on to her own room.
`Do me a last favour, Betteredge,' says Mr.Franklin, turning to me, with the tears in his eyes.`Get me away to the train as soon as you can!'
He too went his way into the house.For the moment, Miss Rachel had completely unmanned him.Judge from that, how fond he must have been of her!
Sergeant Cuff and I were left face to face, at the bottom of the steps.
The Sergeant stood with his face set towards a gap in the trees, commanding a view of one of the windings of the drive which led from the house.He had his hands in his pockets, and he was softly whistling `The Last Rose of Summer' to himself.
`There's a time for everything,' I said, savagely enough.`This isn't a time for whistling.'
At that moment, the carriage appeared in the distance, through the gap, on its way to the lodge-gate.There was another man, besides Samuel, plainly visible in the rumble behind.
`All right!' said the Sergeant to himself.He turned round to me.`It's no time for whistling, Mr.Betteredge, as you say.It's time to take this business in hand, now, without sparing anybody.We'll begin with Rosanna Spearman.Where is Joyce?'
We both called for Joyce, and received no answer.I sent one of the stable-boys to look for him.
`You heard what I said to Miss Verinder?' remarked the Sergeant, while we were waiting.`And you saw how she received it? I tell her plainly that her leaving us will be an obstacle in the way of my recovering her Diamond--and she leaves, in the face of that statement! Your young lady has got a travelling companion in her mother's carriage, Mr.Betteredge--and the name of it is, the Moonstone.'
