him back to his own room. When I was
younger, I could have done it alone. But my
health and strength are not what they were—I
am afraid I must ask you to help me."

Before they could answer, Miss Verinder
called to me softly. She met me at the door of
her room, with a light shawl, and with the
counterpane from her own bed.

"Do you mean to watch him, while he
sleeps?" she asked.

"Yes. I am not sure enough of the action
of the opium, in his case, to be willing to leave
him alone."

She handed me the shawl and the counterpane.

"Why should you disturb him?" she
whispered. "Make his bed on the sofa. I can
shut my door, and keep in my room."

It was infinitely the simplest and the safest
way of disposing of him for the night. I
mentioned the suggestion to Mr. Bruff and
Betteredge—who both approved of my adopting it.
In five minutes, I had laid him comfortably on
the sofa, and had covered him lightly with the
counterpane and the shawl. Miss Verinder
wished us good night, and closed the door. At
my request, we three then drew round the table
in the middle of the room, on which the candle
was still burning, and on which writing materials
were placed.

"Before we separate," I began, "I have a
word to say about the experiment which has
been tried to-night. Two distinct objects were
to be gained by it. The first of these objects
was to prove, that Mr. Blake entered this
room, and took the Diamond, last year, acting
unconsciously and irresponsibly, under the
influence of opium. After what you have both
seen, are you both satisfied, so far?"

They answered me in the affirmative, without
a moment's hesitation.

"The second object," I went on, "was to
discover what he did with the Diamond, after
he was seen by Miss Verinder to leave her
sitting-room with the jewel in his hand, on the
birthday night. The gaining of this object
depended, of course, on his still continuing
exactly to repeat his proceedings of last year.
He has failed to do that; and the purpose of
the experiment is defeated accordingly. I can't
assert that I am not disappointed at the result
—but I can honestly say that I am not surprised
by it. I told Mr. Blake from the first, that our
complete success in this matter, depended on
our completely reproducing in him the physical
and moral conditions of last year—and I warned
him that this was the next thing to a downright
impossibility. We have only partially reproduced
the conditions, and the experiment has
been only partially successful in consequence.
It is also possible that I may have administered
too large a dose of laudanum. But I myself
look upon the first reason that I have given, as
the true reason why we have to lament a failure,
as well as to rejoice over a success."

After saying those words, I put the writing
materials before Mr. Bruff, and asked him if he
had any objection—before we separated for the
night—to draw out, and sign, a plain statement
of what he had seen. He at once took the pen,
and produced the statement with the fluent
readiness of a practised hand.

"I owe you this," he said, signing the
paper, "as some atonement for what passed
between us earlier in the evening. I beg your
pardon, Mr. Jennings, for having doubted you.
You have done Franklin Blake an inestimable
service. In our legal phrase, you have proved
your case."

Betteredge's apology was characteristic of
the man.

"Mr. Jennings," he said, "when you read
Robinson Crusoe again (which I strongly
recommend you to do), you will find that he
never scruples to acknowledge it, when he
turns out to have been in the wrong. Please
to consider me, sir, as doing what Robinson
Crusoe did, on the present occasion." With
those words he signed the paper in his turn.

Mr. Bruff took me aside, as we rose from the
table.

"One word about the Diamond," he said.
"Your theory is that Franklin Blake hid the
Moonstone in his room. My theory is, that the
Moonstone is in the possession of Mr. Luker's
bankers in London. We won't dispute which
of us is right. We will only ask, which of us
is in a position to put his theory to the test
first."

"The test, in my case," I answered, "has been
tried to-night, and has failed."

"The test, in my case," rejoined Mr. Bruff,
"is still in process of trial. For the last two
days, I have had a watch set for Mr. Luker at
the bank; and I shall cause that watch to be
continued until the last day of the month. I
know that he must take the Diamond himself
out of his bankers' hands—and I am acting on
the chance that the person who has pledged the
Diamond may force him to do this, by redeeming
the pledge. In that case, I may be able to lay
my hand on the person. And there is a
prospect of our clearing up the mystery, exactly at
the point where the mystery baffles us now!
Do you admit that, so far?"

I admitted it readily.

"I am going back to town by the ten o'clock
train," pursued the lawyer. "I may hear, when
I get back, that a discovery has been made—
and it may be of the greatest importance that I
should have Franklin Blake at hand to appeal
to, if necessary. I intend to tell him, as soon
as he wakes, that he must return with me to
London. After all that has happened, may I
trust to your influence to back me?"

"Certainly!" I said.

Mr. Bruff shook hands with me, and left the
room. Betteredge followed him out.

I went to the sofa to look at Mr. Blake. He
had not moved since I had laid him down
and made his bed—he lay locked in a deep and
quiet sleep.

While I was still looking at him, I heard the