"They were annoying Mr. Luker," I answered, "by loitering about the
house at Lambeth."
"Did you read the report of Mr. Luker's application to the magistrate?"
"Yes."
"In the course of his statement he referred, if you remember, to
a foreign workman in his employment, whom he had just dismissed on
suspicion of attempted theft, and whom he also distrusted as possibly
acting in collusion with the Indians who had annoyed him. The inference
is pretty plain, Mr. Bruff, as to who wrote that letter which puzzled
you just now, and as to which of Mr. Luker's Oriental treasures the
workman had attempted to steal."
The inference (as I hastened to acknowledge) was too plain to need being
pointed out. I had never doubted that the Moonstone had found its way
into Mr. Luker's hands, at the time Mr. Murthwaite alluded to. My only
question had been, How had the Indians discovered the circumstance? This
question (the most difficult to deal with of all, as I had thought) had
now received its answer, like the rest. Lawyer as I was, I began to feel
that I might trust Mr. Murthwaite to lead me blindfold through the last
windings of the labyrinth, along which he had guided me thus far. I paid
him the compliment of telling him this, and found my little concession
very graciously received.
"You shall give me a piece of information in your turn before we go
on," he said. "Somebody must have taken the Moonstone from Yorkshire
to London. And somebody must have raised money on it, or it would never
have been in Mr. Luker's possession. Has there been any discovery made
of who that person was?"
"None that I know of."
"There was a story (was there not?) about Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite. I am
told he is an eminent philanthropist--which is decidedly against him, to
begin with."
I heartily agreed in this with Mr. Murthwaite. At the same time, I felt
bound to inform him (without, it is needless to say, mentioning Miss
Verinder's name) that Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite had been cleared of all
suspicion, on evidence which I could answer for as entirely beyond
dispute.
"Very well," said Mr. Murthwaite, quietly, "let us leave it to time to
clear the matter up. In the meanwhile, Mr. Bruff, we must get back again
to the Indians, on your account. Their journey to London simply ended in
their becoming the victims of another defeat. The loss of their second
chance of seizing the Diamond is mainly attributable, as I think, to the
cunning and foresight of Mr. Luker--who doesn't stand at the top of the
prosperous and ancient profession of usury for nothing! By the prompt
dismissal of the man in his employment, he deprived the Indians of the
assistance which their confederate would have rendered them in getting
into the house. By the prompt transport of the Moonstone to his
banker's, he took the conspirators by surprise before they were prepared
with a new plan for robbing him. How the Indians, in this latter case,
suspected what he had done, and how they contrived to possess themselves
of his banker's receipt, are events too recent to need dwelling on. Let
it be enough to say that they know the Moonstone to be once more out of
their reach; deposited (under the general description of 'a valuable of
great price') in a banker's strong room. Now, Mr. Bruff, what is their
third chance of seizing the Diamond? and when will it come?"