the servants' feelings ought to be consulted. But
I am equally clear that the servants' wardrobes
ought to be searched."

This looked very like a dead lock. My lady
said so, in choicer language than mine.

"I have got a plan to meet the difficulty,"
said Sergeant Cuff, "if your ladyship will
consent to it. I propose explaining the case to
the servants."

"The women will think themselves suspected
directly," I said, interrupting him.

"The women won't, Mr. Betteredge,"
answered the Sergeant, "if I can tell them I am
going to examine the wardrobes of everybody—
from her ladyship downwards—who slept in the
house on Wednesday night. It's a mere
formality," he added, with a side look at my
mistress; "but the servants will accept it as
even dealing between them and their betters;
and, instead of hindering the investigation, they
will make a point of honour of assisting it."

I saw the truth of that. My lady, after her
first surprise was over, saw the truth of it too.

"You are certain the investigation is necessary?"
she said.

"It's the shortest way that I can see, my
lady, to the end we have in view."

My mistress rose to ring the bell for her
maid. "You shall speak to the servants,
with the keys of my wardrobe in your hand."

Sergeant Cuff stopped her by a very
unexpected question.

"Hadn't we better make sure first," he asked,
"that the other ladies and gentlemen in the
house will consent, too?"

"The only other lady in the house is Miss
Verinder," answered my mistress, with a look
of surprise. "The only gentlemen are my
nephews, Mr. Blake and Mr. Ablewhite.
There is not the least fear of a refusal from any
of the three."

I reminded my lady here that Mr. Godfrey
was going away. As I said the words, Mr.
Godfrey himself knocked at the door to say
good-bye, and was followed in by Mr. Franklin,
who was going with him to the station. My
lady explained the difficulty. Mr. Godfrey
settled it directly. He called to Samuel,
through the window, to take his portmanteau
up-stairs again, and he then put the key
himself into Sergeant Cuff's hand. "My luggage
can follow me to London," he said, "when the
inquiry is over." The Sergeant received the
key with a becoming apology. "I am sorry to
put you to any inconvenience, sir, for a mere
formality; but the example of their betters will
do wonders in reconciling the servants to this
inquiry." Mr. Godfrey, after taking leave of
my lady, in a most sympathising manner, left a
farewell message for Miss Rachel, the terms of
which made it clear to my mind that he had not
taken No for an answer, and that he meant to
put the marriage question to her once more, at
the next opportunity. Mr. Franklin, on following
his cousin out, informed the Sergeant that
all his clothes were open to examination, and
that nothing he possessed was kept under lock
and key.  Sergeant Cuff made his best
acknowledgments. His views, you will observe,
had been met with the utmost readiness by my
lady, by Mr. Godfrey, and by Mr. Franklin.
There was only Miss Rachel now wanting to follow
their lead, before we called the servants together,
and began the search for the stained dress.

My lady's unaccountable objection to the
Sergeant seemed to make our conference more
distasteful to her than ever, as soon as we were
left alone again. "If I send you down Miss
Verinder's keys," she said, "I presume I shall
have done all you want of me for the present?"

"I beg your ladyship's pardon," said
Sergeant Cuff. "Before we begin, I should like,
if convenient, to have the washing-book. The
stained article of dress may be an article of
linen. If the search leads to nothing, I want
to be able to account next for all the linen in
the house, and for all the linen sent to the wash.
If there is an article missing, there will be at
least a presumption that it has got the paint-
stain on it, and that it has been purposely made
away with, yesterday or to-day, by the person
owning it. Superintendent Seegrave," added
the Sergeant, turning to me, "pointed the
attention of the women-servants to the smear,
when they all crowded into the room on Thursday
morning. That may turn out, Mr. Betteredge,
to have been one more of Superintendent
Seegrave's many mistakes."

My lady desired me to ring the bell, and
order the washing-book. She remained with
us until it was produced, in case Sergeant Cuff
had any further request to make of her after
looking at it.

The washing-book was brought in by Rosanna
Spearman. The girl had come down to breakfast
that morning miserably pale and haggard,
but sufficiently recovered from her illness of
the previous day to do her usual work.
Sergeant Cuff looked attentively at our second
housemaid—at her face, when she came in; at
her crooked shoulder, when she went out.

"Have you anything more to say to me?"
asked my lady, still as eager as ever to be out
of the Sergeant's society.

The great Cuff opened the washing-book,
understood it perfectly in half a minute, and
shut it up again. "I venture to trouble your
ladyship with one last question," he said.
"Has the young woman who brought us this
book been in your employment as long as the
other servants?"

"Why do you ask?" said my lady.

"The last time I saw her," answered the
Sergeant, "she was in prison for theft."

After that, there was no help for it, but to tell
him the truth. My mistress dwelt strongly on
Rosanna's good conduct in her service, and on
the high opinion entertained of her by the
matron at the Reformatory. "You don't
suspect her, I hope?" my lady added, in conclusion,
very earnestly.

"I have already told your ladyship that I
don't suspect any person in the house of
thieving, up to the present time."