Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (2073 page)

Cuff.
Not in the least, miss!

Miss Clack
(
humbly
). Thank you, sir! (
She ascends to the gallery, and goes off on the left.
CUFF
walks thoughtfully to and fro, whistling the first notes of his favourite air. As
MISS CLACK
disappears, he speaks.
)

Cuff.
The linen for the wash has wasted my time, and has told me nothing. Thanks to that extraordinary female, I know what article of clothing to examine next. Miss Rachel’s own conduct associates the dressing-gown with the smear on the varnish. Why was she so angry when that polite spinster noticed the dressing-gown? And what was she doing with a dressing-gown at this time of day? (FRANKLIN
and
BETTEREDGE
enter by the hall door.
)

Betteredge
(
to
CUFF). I have found Mr. Franklin, sir. Here he is!

Franklin.
I have been looking for you in all the wrong places, Sergeant. What are you doing here? What about the missing diamond?

Cuff.
I have failed to find the diamond, so far, sir; and I came here to ask for a minute’s conversation with Miss Rachel.

Franklin.
Where is she? In her own room? (
He knocks at the door.
) Rachel!

Rachel
(
suddenly opening the door, and speaking eagerly
). Franklin’s voice! (
She sees
CUFF
and
BETTEREDGE,
and drawing back, speaks aside.
) I thought he had come to confess everything! (
To
FRANKLIN,
sharply.
) Why am I disturbed?

Cuff
(
interposing
). It is my duty to inform you, miss, that the examination of the linen has led to nothing. I have made up my mind to look at the servants’ wardrobes next.

Rachel.
I won’t allow it! It’s an insult to my honest servants.

Betteredge.
Thank you kindly, Miss Rachel! But it had better be done, for all that.

Cuff.
I am as anxious to consult the servants’ feelings as you are, miss. I propose that you and the gentlefolks staying in the house should set the example, and offer your wardrobes to be examined first.

Franklin.
An excellent notion! The servants can’t complain if we do that.

Rachel
(
with a furious look at
FRANKLIN). I refuse to let my wardrobe be examined! I refuse to let this shameful farce go on any longer.

Cuff.
Please reflect, miss, before you decide. I have undertaken to conduct this inquiry, and I have a duty to perform to my employer here. (
He indicates
FRANKLIN.)

Rachel
(
suddenly stepping up to
CUFF).Your employer? Do you mean to tell me Mr. Franklin Blake sent for you?

Franklin.
Certainly, Rachel, I sent for him.

Rachel.
You
sent to London for Sergeant Cuff?

Franklin.
Why are you angry with me? I have sent for the right man to recover your diamond.

Rachel
(
with a burst of indignation
). Oh! this is more than even my endurance can bear. (
She rings the bell furiously.
ANDREW
appears.
) Order the carriage — I am going back to London by the next train. (
She takes her garden hat off a table.
FRANKLIN
looks at her in amazement.
CUFF
smiles to himself.
)

Franklin.
My dear Rachel — !

Rachel.
Not a word. Don’t speak to me — don’t look at me! The very air of the house is hateful to me while
you
are in it!

Franklin.
What do you mean, Rachel? Do you know that you are insulting me before these men?

Rachel.
Insult you? You? Franklin Blake, you’re beneath being insulted, and you know it! (FRANKLIN
stands petrified.
RACHEL
continues, pointing to
CUFF.) Betteredge! pay that man his fee, and don’t let me find him here when I come back! (
She goes out on the right.
)

Cuff
(
looking after her
). She knows who took the diamond! (
To
FRANKLIN.) We’ve found the clue, sir.

Franklin
(
in great surprise
). Where is the clue?

Cuff
(
pointing to
RACHEL’S
room
). In that room.

Betteredge
(
scandalised
). Miss Rachel’s room! You’re not going in there without Miss Rachel’s leave?

Cuff.
It’s my duty to search the room, Mr. Betteredge. And I mean to search it while I have the chance.

Betteredge
(
furiously
). Your duty? Damn you, you have some suspicion of Miss Rachel! (
He seizes
CUFF
by the collar of his coat.
CUFF
shows no surprise, and makes no resistance.
)

Franklin
(
interfering
). Betteredge! (
He forces
BETTEREDGE
to release
CUFF.) The Sergeant is right. Rachel’s own conduct justifies him. (
He retires with a gesture of despair, seats himself at a table, and hides his face in his hands.
BETTEREDGE
stands petrified by what
FRANKLIN
has just said to him.
)

Cuff
(
as quietly as usual
). If it’s any comfort to you, Mr. Betteredge, collar me again. You don’t in the least know how to do it. But I’ll overlook your awkwardness in consideration of your feelings.

Betteredge
(
strongly agitated
). I ask your pardon, Sergeant. Please to remember as some excuse for me that I’ve served the family for fifty years. Many and many a time Miss Rachel’s climbed on my knees when she was a child — (
His voice fails him — he turns away to hide his tears.
)

Cuff.
Don’t distress yourself, Mr. Betteredge. I’ve hushed up worse cases than this in my time. (
He goes into
RACHEL’S
room.
)

Betteredge
(
bewildered and distressed
). Master Franklin! You have a clear head — you can see farther than I can. What does this mean?

Franklin
(
without moving
). It means that I have done my best to help Rachel to find her diamond, and that she has grossly insulted me in return. It means that Rachel is the one person in the house who refuses to let her wardrobe be examined. Who is to blame Sergeant Cuff if he suspects her after that?

Betteredge
(
sternly
). Suspects her of what, sir?

Franklin.
Of knowing who stole the Moonstone, and of concealing the scoundrel who took it for some reason of her own.

Betteredge
(
indignantly
). It’s a lie — it’s an infernal lie! I wish I had throttled the Sergeant when I had hold of him. (CUFF
appears at the door with the dressing-gown in his hand.
BETTEREDGE
turns on him with renewed anger.
) Well! now you’ve searched her room, what have you got there? (
He points to the dressing-gown.
)

Cuff
(
quietly
). I’ve got the thief.

Franklin
(
starting up and joining them
).Who is the thief? (CUFF
opens the dressing-gown.
FRANKLIN
recognises it as his own, and starts back, like a man thunderstruck.
)

Cuff
(
pointing to it
). Who wore this dressing-gown last night? Here is the stain of the varnish as plain as can be, to sight and smell. (
He looks up and notices
FRANKLIN.) Mr. Blake, you know something about this.

Betteredge
(
also noticing him, in alarm
). Master Franklin! Master Franklin! What’s come to you? (FRANKLIN
tries vainly to speak. His eyes are fixed, horror-struck, on the dressing-gown.
CUFF
approaches
FRANKLIN
suspiciously, with the dressing-gown still in his hand.
)

Cuff.
I rely on your honour, sir, to speak the truth — no matter how painful it may be. (
He holds up the dressing-gown.
) Whose dressing-gown is this?

Franklin
(
wildly
). Mine!!! (
As
FRANKLIN
gives his answer,
RACHEL
enters from the garden. She sees the dressing-gown — a faint cry escapes her — she stops, rooted to the spot. The three men all turn, and look at her in silence.
BETTEREDGE
is the first to speak.
)

Betteredge
(
pointing to the dressing-gown
). Miss Rachel! do you know anything about this? (RACHEL
remains immovably silent, with her eyes fixed on
FRANKLIN.)

Cuff.
Innocent people may be suspected, miss, unless you tell us what you know. (RACHEL
still keeps silence.
)

Franklin
(
appealing to her in despair
). Rachel! Rachel! (RACHEL
shudders at his voice. Her head sinks upon her breast. With a motion of her hand she signs sternly to
BETTEREDGE
and to
CUFF,
who stand between her and the door of her room, to let her pass. They obey. She slowly crosses the stage to the door.
CUFF
makes a last appeal to her.
)

Cuff.
For the last time, miss, have you nothing to tell us?

Rachel
(
coldly and sternly
). I have nothing to tell you.

Betteredge.
Oh, Miss Rachel! surely you have something to say?

Rachel
(
to
BETTEREDGE). I have this to say. I supposed my room to be sacred from intrusion, especially while you were here. For the future I shall lock my door. (
She enters her room, and is heard to double-lock her door.
)

Franklin
(
wildly
). Am I the thief? (BETTEREDGE
vainly attempts to compose him.
) Do your duty, Sergeant! On my word as an honest man, on my oath as a Christian, I know no more how that stain came on my dressing-gown than you do. I can’t expect you to believe me. Do your duty.

Cuff
(
firmly
). Compose yourself, sir. I know my trade a little better than to trust to appearances. (
He throws the dressing-gown across a chair.
) As matters stand, I grant you, the right reading of the riddle seems hard to guess. Patience, Mr. Blake! Time will do for us what we can’t do for ourselves.