The Moonstone

Mr. Ablewhite, senior, refused to lend his son a farthing.

The next day Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite rode over, with you, to Lady

Verinder's house. A few hours afterwards, Mr. Godfrey (as you yourself

have told me) made a proposal of marriage to Miss Verinder. Here, he saw

his way no doubt--if accepted--to the end of all his money anxieties,

present and future. But, as events actually turned out, what happened?

Miss Verinder refused him.

On the night of the birthday, therefore, Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite's

pecuniary position was this. He had three hundred pounds to find on

the twenty-fourth of the month, and twenty thousand pounds to find in

February eighteen hundred and fifty. Failing to raise these sums, at

these times, he was a ruined man.

Under those circumstances, what takes place next?

You exasperate Mr. Candy, the doctor, on the sore subject of his

profession; and he plays you a practical joke, in return, with a dose of

laudanum. He trusts the administration of the dose, prepared in a little

phial, to Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite--who has himself confessed the share he

had in the matter, under circumstances which shall presently be related

to you. Mr. Godfrey is all the readier to enter into the conspiracy,

having himself suffered from your sharp tongue in the course of the

evening. He joins Betteredge in persuading you to drink a little brandy

and water before you go to bed. He privately drops the dose of laudanum

into your cold grog. And you drink the mixture.

Let us now shift the scene, if you please to Mr. Luker's house at

Lambeth. And allow me to remark, by way of preface, that Mr. Bruff and

I, together, have found a means of forcing the money-lender to make

a clean breast of it. We have carefully sifted the statement he has

addressed to us; and here it is at your service.

CHAPTER Second Period Sixth Narrative - Chapter IV Late on the evening of Friday, the twenty-third of June ('forty-eight),

Mr. Luker was surprised by a visit from Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite. He was

more than surprised, when Mr. Godfrey produced the Moonstone. No such

Diamond (according to Mr. Luker's experience) was in the possession of

any private person in Europe.

Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite had two modest proposals to make, in relation to

this magnificent gem. First, Would Mr. Luker be so good as to buy it?

Secondly, Would Mr. Luker (in default of seeing his way to the purchase)

undertake to sell it on commission, and to pay a sum down, on the

anticipated result?

Mr. Luker tested the Diamond, weighed the Diamond and estimated the

value of the Diamond, before he answered a word. HIS estimate (allowing

for the flaw in the stone) was thirty thousand pounds.