The Year Round. a Weekly Journal, Conducted by Charles Dickens
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_:^ •^ "THE STOKY OF OUR LIVES FROM YEAE TO YEAE.—SIIAKKSPEARE. ALL THE YEAR ROUND. A WEEKLY JOURNAL, CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DICKENS. WITH WHICH IS INOOKPOEATED HOUSEHOLD WORDS. r°- 466,] SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 186S, [PKICE 2C?, opinion. Sergeant," I concluded, in au airy way. THE MOONSTONE. "Back your opinion." Bt TH» ADTHOE OF "TBB Woiuit IS WHrrB," &c. &c. Instead of taking offence, Sergeaut Cuff seized my baud, and shook it till my fingers ached again. CHAPTEE XXn.—(CONTINTIEU.) " [ declare to Heaven," says this strange I TALKED to the wmdow to compose myself, officer solemnly, " I would take to domestic he rain had given over; and, who should 1 service to-morrow, Mr. Betteredge, if I had a 36 in the courtyard, but Mr. Begbie, tbe gar- chauce of being employed along willi You! To ener, waiting outside to continue .the dog-rose say you are as Iranspareut as a child, sir, is to ontroversy with Sergeant Cuff. pay the children a compliment which nine out " My compliments to the Sairgeut," said Mr. of ten of them don't deserve. There ! there ! tegbie, the moment he set eyes on me. I' If we won't begin to dispute again. You shall e's minded to walk to the station, I'm agree- have it out of me on easier terms than that. ble logo with him." I won't say a word raore about her ladysiiip, or " What!" cries the Sergeant, behind me, about Miss Verinder—I'll ouly turn prophet, are you not convinced yet ?" for once in a way, and for your saie. I have " The deil a bit I'm convinced 1" answered warned you already that you haven't doue with IT. Begbie. the Moonstone yet. Very well. Now I'll tell you, at parting, of three things wliich will " Theu I'll walk to the station!" says the happen in the future, aud which, I believe, will ergeant. force theraselves on your attention, whether " Theu I'll meet you at the gate !" says Mr. you like it or not." t^bie. I was angry enough, as yon kuow—but how " Go on!" I said, quite unabashed, and just 'as auy mau's anger to hold out against such as airy as ever. n mterruption as this? Sergeant Cuff noticed " l''irst," said the Sergeaut, " you will hear tie change in me, and encouraged it by a word something from the Yollands—wheu the post I season. "Comel corae!" he said, " why uot man delivers Rosauua's letter at Cobb's Hole, reat my view of the case as her ladyship treats on Monday next." ; ? Why not say, the circumstances have fatally If he had thrown a bucket of cold water over ilsled me?" me, I doubt if I could have felt It much more To take anything as her ladyship took it, unpleasantly than I felt those words. Miss 'as a privilege worth enjoying—even with the Rachel's assertion of her innocence had left isadvantage of it's havmg been offered to me Rosanna's conduct—the makiug the new night y Sergeant Cuff. I cooled slowly down to ray gown, the hiding tbe smeared nightgown, aud aatomary level. I regarded any other opinion all the rest of it—entirely without explanation. f Miss Rachel, than my lady's opinion or raine, And this had uever occurred to me, till Sergeaut ith a lofty contempt. The only thiug I could Cuff forced it on my miud all in a moineut! ot do, was to keep off the subject of the "In the second place,"proceeded the Sergeant, [oonstone! My own good sense ought to " you will hear of the three Indians agam. You »Te warned me, I know, to let the matter rest will hear of tliera in the ueighbourhood, if Miss -but, there! the virtues which distinguish tlie Rachel reraains in the neighbourhood. You resent generation were not invented m my tirae. will hear of thera in Londou, if Miss Rachel ergeant Cuff had hit me ou the raw, and, goes to London." lough I did look down upon him witii con- Having lost all interest in the three jugglers, impt, the tender place still tingled for all that. and having thoroughly convinced myself of ray he eud of it was that I perversely led hira youug lady's inuocence, I took this second pro ick to the subject of her ladyship's letter, phecy easily enough. " So much for two of lam quite satisfied rayself," I said. "But the tliree things that are going to happen," I sver mind that! Go on, *as if I was still open said. " Now for the third !'* ' conviction. You think Miss llachel is not " Third, and last," said Sergeaut Cuff, " you ' be believed on her word; and you say we will, sooner or later, hear soraething of that *U hear of the Moonstone agaiu. Back your money-lender in London, whom I have twice VOL. UX. 4:GG plarch 23, 1868.] ALL THE YEAR ROUND. [Condoeted by taken the liberty of mentioning already. Give " So you have really made up your mmd, me your pocket-book, aud I'll make a uote for sir?" I said, as we met in the hall. "Why you of his name and address—so tbat there not wait a day or two louger, aud give Miss may be no mistake about it if the thing really Rachel another chance?" happens." The foreign varnish appeared to have all He wrote accordingly on a blank leaf:— worn off Mr. Franklin, now that the time had "Mr. Septimus Luker, Middlesex-place, Lam come for saying good-bye. Instead of replying to beth, London." rae in words, he put the letter which her lady " There," he said, pointing to the address, ship had addressed to bim into my hand. The " arc the last words, on the subject of the Moon greater part of it said over agaiu what had been stone, whieh I shall trouble you with for the said already in the other communication re present. Time will show whether I ara right ceived by rae. But there was a bit about Miss or wroug. In the mean wliile, sir, I carry away Raehel added at the end which will account for with mc a sincere personal liking for you, which the steadiness of Mr. Franklin's determination I think does honour to both of us. If we don't if it accounts for nothing else. meet again before my professional retirement takes place, I hope you will come aud see rae " You will wonder, I dare say" (her ladyship in a little house near London, which I have got wrote) " at ray allowing my own daughter to my eye on. There will be grass walks, Mr. keep me perfectly in the tfark. A Diamond Betteredge, I promise you, in my garden. Aud worth twenty thousand pouuds has been lost— as for ihe wliite moss rose " and I am left to infer that the mystery of its " The deil a bit ye'll get the white moss rose disappearance is no mystery to Rachel, and to gi'ow, unless ye bud him ou the dogue-rose Ihat some incomprehensible obligation of sUence first," cried a voice at the window. has been laid on her, by some person or persons We both turned round. There was the ever utterly unknown to me, with some object m lasting Mr. Begbie, too eager for the controversy view at which I cannot even guess. Is it con to wait any longer at the gate. The Sergeant ceivable that I should allow myself to be triSed wrung my hand, and darted out into the court with in this way ? It is quite conceivable, m yard, hotter still on his side. " Ask him about Rachel's present state. She is in a condition the moss rose, when lie comes back, and see if of nervous agitation pitiable to see. I dare I have left him a leg to stand ou !" cried the not approach the subject of the Moonsbme great Cuff, hailiug rae through the window again until tirae has done something to quiet ' in his turn. " Gentlemen, both !" I answered, her. To help this end, I bave not hesitated to moderating them again as I bad moderated dismiss the poUee-officer. The mystery which them once already, " In the matter of the baffles us, baffles him too This Is not a matter moss rose there is a great deal to be said on in which any stranger can help us. He adds to both sides !" I might as well (as the Irish say) what I have to suffer; and he maddens ,Rachel have whistled jigs lo a milestone. Away they if she ouly hears his name. went together, fighting the battle of the roses " My plans for the future are as well settled without asking or giving quarter on either side. as they can be. My present idea is to take The last I saw of them, Mr. Begbie was shaking Rachel to London—partly to relieve her mmd his obstinate head, and Sergeant Cuff had got by a complete change, partly to try what may him by the arm like a prisoner in charge. Ah, be done by consulting the best medical ad well I well! I owu I couldu't help liking the vice. Can I ask you to meet us in town P My Sergeant—though I hated him all the tirae. dear Franklin, you, in your way, must imitate Explain that state of ralud, if you can.