The Moonstone | Page 4

the interests of truth, to be placed on record in writing--and the sooner
the better."

Not perceiving his drift yet, and thinking it always desirable for the
sake of peace and quietness to be on the lawyer's side, I said I thought
so too. Mr. Franklin went on.
"In this matter of the Diamond," he said, "the characters of innocent
people have suffered under suspicion already--as you know. The
memories of innocent people may suffer, hereafter, for want of a record
of the facts to which those who come after us can appeal. There can be
no doubt that this strange family story of ours ought to be told. And I
think, Betteredge, Mr. Bruff and I together have hit on the right way of
telling it."
Very satisfactory to both of them, no doubt. But I failed to see what I
myself had to do with it, so far.
"We have certain events to relate," Mr. Franklin proceeded; "and we
have certain persons concerned in those events who are capable of
relating them. Starting from these plain facts, the idea is that we should
all write the story of the Moonstone in turn--as far as our own personal
experience extends, and no farther. We must begin by showing how the
Diamond first fell into the hands of my uncle Herncastle, when he was
serving in India fifty years since. This prefatory narrative I have
already got by me in the form of an old family paper, which relates the
necessary particulars on the authority of an eye-witness. The next thing
to do is to tell how the Diamond found its way into my aunt's house in
Yorkshire, two years ago, and how it came to be lost in little more than
twelve hours afterwards. Nobody knows as much as you do, Betteredge,
about what went on in the house at that time. So you must take the pen
in hand, and start the story."
In those terms I was informed of what my personal concern was with
the matter of the Diamond. If you are curious to know what course I
took under the circumstances, I beg to inform you that I did what you
would probably have done in my place. I modestly declared myself to
be quite unequal to the task imposed upon me--and I privately felt, all
the time, that I was quite clever enough to perform it, if I only gave my
own abilities a fair chance. Mr. Franklin, I imagine, must have seen my
private sentiments in my face. He declined to believe in my modesty;

and he insisted on giving my abilities a fair chance.
Two hours have passed since Mr. Franklin left me. As soon as his back
was turned, I went to my writing desk to start the story. There I have
sat helpless (in spite of my abilities) ever since; seeing what Robinson
Crusoe saw, as quoted above--namely, the folly of beginning a work
before we count the cost, and before we judge rightly of our own
strength to go through with it. Please to remember, I opened the book
by accident, at that bit, only the day before I rashly undertook the
business now in hand; and, allow me to ask--if THAT isn't prophecy,
what is?
I am not superstitious; I have read a heap of books in my time; I am a
scholar in my own way. Though turned seventy, I possess an active
memory, and legs to correspond. You are not to take it, if you please, as
the saying of an ignorant man, when I express my opinion that such a
book as ROBINSON CRUSOE never was written, and never will be
written again. I have tried that book for years--generally in combination
with a pipe of tobacco--and I have found it my friend in need in all the
necessities of this mortal life. When my spirits are bad--ROBINSON
CRUSOE. When I want advice--ROBINSON CRUSOE. In past times
when my wife plagued me; in present times when I have had a drop too
much--ROBINSON CRUSOE. I have worn out six stout ROBINSON
CRUSOES with hard work in my service. On my lady's last birthday
she gave me a seventh. I took a drop too much on the strength of it; and
ROBINSON CRUSOE put me right again. Price four shillings and
sixpence, bound in blue, with a picture into the bargain.
Still, this don't look much like starting the story of the Diamond--does
it? I seem to be wandering off in search of Lord knows what, Lord
knows where. We will take a new sheet of paper, if you please, and
begin over again, with my best respects to you.

CHAPTER II
I spoke of my lady a line or two back. Now the Diamond could never

have