The Moonstone
Page 118That was my feeling too. But I put a good face on it, before my
daughter. Miss Rachel's bell rang while we were talking. Penelope ran
up the back stairs to go on with the packing. I went by the other way to
the hall, to see what the glass said about the change in the weather.
Just as I approached the swing-door leading into the hall from the
servants' offices, it was violently opened from the other side, and
Rosanna Spearman ran by me, with a miserable look of pain in her face,
and one of her hands pressed hard over her heart, as if the pang was in
that quarter. "What's the matter, my girl?" I asked, stopping her. "Are
you ill?" "For God's sake, don't speak to me," she answered, and twisted
herself out of my hands, and ran on towards the servants' staircase. I
Two other persons proved to be within hearing, as well as the cook.
Sergeant Cuff darted softly out of my room, and asked what was the
matter. I answered, "Nothing." Mr. Franklin, on the other side, pulled
open the swing-door, and beckoning me into the hall, inquired if I had
seen anything of Rosanna Spearman.
"She has just passed me, sir, with a very disturbed face, and in a very
odd manner."
"I am afraid I am innocently the cause of that disturbance, Betteredge."
"You, sir!"
"I can't explain it," says Mr. Franklin; "but, if the girl IS concerned
confessing everything--to me, of all the people in the world--not two
minutes since."
Looking towards the swing-door, as he said those last words, I fancied I
saw it opened a little way from the inner side.
Was there anybody listening? The door fell to, before I could get to it.
Looking through, the moment after, I thought I saw the tails of Sergeant
Cuff's respectable black coat disappearing round the corner of the
passage. He knew, as well as I did, that he could expect no more help
from me, now that I had discovered the turn which his investigations
were really taking. Under those circumstances, it was quite in his
Not feeling sure that I had really seen the Sergeant--and not desiring
to make needless mischief, where, Heaven knows, there was mischief
enough going on already--I told Mr. Franklin that I thought one of the
dogs had got into the house--and then begged him to describe what had
happened between Rosanna and himself.
"Were you passing through the hall, sir?" I asked. "Did you meet her
accidentally, when she spoke to you?"