could hold between your finger and thumb,
seemed unfathomable as the heavens
themselves. We set it in the sun, and then shut the
light out of the room, and it shone awfully out
of the depths of its own brightness, with a
moony gleam, in the dark. No wonder Miss
Rachel was fascinated: no wonder her cousins
screamed. The Diamond laid such a hold on
me that I burst out with as large an "O" as the
Bouncers themselves. The only one of us who
kept his senses was Mr. Godfrey. He put an
arm round each of his sisters' waists, and, looking
compassionately backwards and forwards
from the Diamond to me, said, "Carbon, Betteredge!
mere carbon, my good friend, after all!"

His object, I suppose, was to instruct me.
All he did, however, was to remind me of the
dinner. I hobbled off to my army of waiters
down-stairs. As I went out, Mr. Godfrey said,
"Dear old Betteredge, I have the truest regard
for him!" He was embracing his sisters, and
ogling Miss Rachel, while he honoured me with
that testimony of affection. Something like a
stock of love to draw on, there! Mr. Franklin
was a perfect savage by comparison with him.

At the end of half an hour, I presented
myself, as directed, in my lady's room.

What passed between my mistress and me,
on this occasion, was, in the main, a repetition
of what had passed between Mr. Franklin and
me at the Shivering Sand—with this difference,
that I took care to keep my own counsel about
the jugglers, seeing that nothing had happened
to justify me in alarming my lady on this head.
When I received my dismissal, I could see that
she took the blackest view possible of the
Colonel's motives, and that she was bent on
getting the Moonstone out of her daughter's
possession at the first opportunity.

On my way back to my own part of the
house, I was encountered by Mr. Franklin.
He wanted to know if I had seen anything of
his cousin Rachel. I had seen nothing of her.
Could I tell him where his cousin Godfrey was?
I didn't know; but I began to suspect that
Cousin Godfrey might not be far away from
Cousin Rachel. Mr. Franklin's suspicions
apparently took the same turn. He tugged
hard at his beard, and went and shut himself up
in the library, with a bang of the door that had
a world of meaning in it.

I was interrupted no more in the business of
preparing for the birthday dinner till it was time
for me to smarten myself up for receiving the
company. Just as I had got my white waistcoat
on, Penelope presented herself at my toilet,
on pretence of brushing what little hair I have
got left, and improving the tie of my white
cravat. My girl was in high spirits, and I saw
she had something to say to me. She gave me
a kiss on the top of my bald head, and
whispered, "News for you, father! Miss Rachel
has refused him."

"Who's 'him'?" I asked.

"The ladies' committee-man, father," says
Penelope. "A nasty sly fellow! I hate him
for trying to supplant Mr. Franklin!"

If I had had breath enough, I should
certainly have protested against this indecent way
of speaking of an eminent philanthropic character.
But my daughter happened to be
improving the tie of my cravat at that moment,
and the whole strength of her feelings found
its way into her fingers. I never was more
nearly strangled in my life.

"I saw him take her away alone into the
rose-garden," says Penelope. "And I waited
behind the holly to see how they came back.
They had gone out arm-in-arm, both laughing.
They came back walking separate, as grave as
grave could be, and looking straight away from
each other in a manner which there was no
mistaking. I never was more delighted, father,
in my life! There's one woman in the world
who can resist Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite, at any
rate; and, if I was a lady, I should be
another!"

Here I should have protested again. But
my daughter had got the hair-brush by this
time, and the whole strength of her feelings
had passed into that. If you are bald, you will
understand how she scarified me. If you are
not, skip this bit, and thank God you have got
something in the way of a defence between
your hair-brush and your head.

"Just on the other side of the holly," Penelope
went on, "Mr. Godfrey came to a standstill.
'You prefer,' says he, 'that I should
stop here as if nothing had happened?' Miss
Rachel turned on him like lightning. 'You
have accepted my mother's invitation,' she
said; ' and you are here to meet her guests.
Unless you wish to make a scandal in the
house, you will remain, of course!' She went
on a few steps, and then seemed to relent a
little. 'Let us forget what has passed,
Godfrey,' she said, 'and let us remain cousins
still.' She gave him her hand. He kissed it,
which I should have considered taking a liberty,
and then she left him. He waited a little by
himself, with his head down, and his heel grinding
a hole slowly in the gravel walk; you
never saw a man look more put out in your
life. 'Awkward!' he said between his teeth,
when he looked up, and went on to the house
—'very awkward!' If that was his opinion of
himself, he was quite right. Awkward enough,
I'm sure. And the end of it is, father, what I
told you all along," cries Penelope, finishing
me off with a last scarification, the hottest of
all. "Mr. Franklin's the man!"

I got possession of the hair-brush, and
opened my lips to administer the reproof which,
you will own, my daughter's language and
conduct richly deserved.

Before I could say a word, the crash of
carriage-wheels outside struck in, and stopped
me. The first of the dinner-company had
come. Penelope instantly ran off. I put on
my coat, and looked in the glass. My head
was as red as a lobster; but, in other respects,
I was as nicely dressed for the ceremonies of
the evening as a man need be. I got into the
hall just in time to announce the two first of