CHAPTER IX
June twenty-first, the day of the birthday, was cloudy and unsettled atsunrise, but towards noon it cleared up bravely.
We, in the servants' hall, began this happy anniversary, as usual, byoffering our little presents to Miss Rachel, with the regular speechdelivered annually by me as the chief. I follow the plan adopted by theQueen in opening Parliament--namely, the plan of saying much the samething regularly every year. Before it is delivered, my speech (like theQueen's) is looked for as eagerly as if nothing of the kind had everbeen heard before. When it is delivered, and turns out not to be thenovelty anticipated, though they grumble a little, they look forwardhopefully to something newer next year. An easy people to govern, in theParliament and in the Kitchen--that's the moral of it. After breakfast,Mr. Franklin and I had a private conference on the subject of theMoonstone--the time having now come for removing it from the bank atFrizinghall, and placing it in Miss Rachel's own hands.
Whether he had been trying to make love to his cousin again, and had gota rebuff--or whether his broken rest, night after night, was aggravatingthe queer contradictions and uncertainties in his character--I don'tknow. But certain it is, that Mr. Franklin failed to show himself at hisbest on the morning of the birthday. He was in twenty different mindsabout the Diamond in as many minutes. For my part, I stuck fast bythe plain facts as we knew them. Nothing had happened to justify us inalarming my lady on the subject of the jewel; and nothing could alterthe legal obligation that now lay on Mr. Franklin to put it in hiscousin's possession. That was my view of the matter; and, twist and turnit as he might, he was forced in the end to make it his view too. Wearranged that he was to ride over, after lunch, to Frizinghall, andbring the Diamond back, with Mr. Godfrey and the two young ladies, inall probability, to keep him company on the way home again.
This settled, our young gentleman went back to Miss Rachel.
They consumed the whole morning, and part of the afternoon, in theeverlasting business of decorating the door, Penelope standing by to mixthe colours, as directed; and my lady, as luncheon time drew near, goingin and out of the room, with her handkerchief to her nose (for they useda deal of Mr. Franklin's vehicle that day), and trying vainly to get thetwo artists away from their work. It was three o'clock before theytook off their aprons, and released Penelope (much the worse for thevehicle), and cleaned themselves of their mess. But they had done whatthey wanted--they had finished the door on the birthday, and proudenough they were of it. The griffins, cupids, and so on, were, I mustown, most beautiful to behold; though so many in number, so entangled inflowers and devices, and so topsy-turvy in their actions and attitudes,that you felt them unpleasantly in your head for hours after you haddone with the pleasure of looking at them. If I add that Penelope endedher part of the morning's work by being sick in the back-kitchen, itis in no unfriendly spirit towards the vehicle. No! no! It leftoff stinking when it dried; and if Art requires these sort ofsacrifices--though the girl is my own daughter--I say, let Art havethem!
Mr. Franklin snatched a morsel from the luncheon-table, and rode offto Frizinghall--to escort his cousins, as he told my lady. To fetch theMoonstone, as was privately known to himself and to me.
This being one of the high festivals on which I took my place at theside-board, in command of the attendance at table, I had plenty tooccupy my mind while Mr. Franklin was away. Having seen to the wine,and reviewed my men and women who were to wait at dinner, I retired tocollect myself before the company came. A whiff of--you know what, anda turn at a certain book which I have had occasion to mention in thesepages, composed me, body and mind. I was aroused from what I am inclinedto think must have been, not a nap, but a reverie, by the clatter ofhorses' hoofs outside; and, going to the door, received a cavalcadecomprising Mr. Franklin and his three cousins, escorted by one of oldMr. Ablewhite's grooms.
Mr. Godfrey struck me, strangely enough, as being like Mr. Franklin inthis respect--that he did not seem to be in his customary spirits. Hekindly shook hands with me as usual, and was most politely glad to seehis old friend Betteredge wearing so well. But there was a sort of cloudover him, which I couldn't at all account for; and when I asked how hehad found his father in health, he answered rather shortly, "Muchas usual." However, the two Miss Ablewhites were cheerful enough fortwenty, which more than restored the balance. They were nearly as bigas their brother; spanking, yellow-haired, rosy lasses, overflowing withsuper-abundant flesh and blood; bursting from head to foot with healthand spirits. The legs of the poor horses trembled with carrying them;and when they jumped from their saddles (without waiting to behelped), I declare they bounced on the ground as if they were made ofindia-rubber. Everything the Miss Ablewhites said began with a large O;everything they did was done with a bang; and they giggled andscreamed, in season and out of season, on the smallest provocation.Bouncers--that's what I call them.
Under cover of the noise made by the young ladies, I had an opportunityof saying a private word to Mr. Franklin in the hall.
"Have you got the Diamond safe, sir?"
He nodded, and tapped the breast-pocket of his coat.
"Have you seen anything of the Indians?"
"Not a glimpse." With that answer, he asked for my lady, and, hearingshe was in the small drawing-room, went there straight. The bell rang,before he had been a minute in the room, and Penelope was sent to tellMiss Rachel that Mr. Franklin Blake wanted to speak to her.
Crossing the hall, about half an hour afterwards, I was brought to asudden standstill by an outbreak of screams from the small drawing-room.I can't say I was at all alarmed; for I recognised in the screamsthe favourite large O of the Miss Ablewhites. However, I went in (onpretence of asking for instructions about the dinner) to discoverwhether anything serious had really happened.
There stood Miss Rachel at the table, like a person fascinated, withthe Colonel's unlucky Diamond in her hand. There, on either side ofher, knelt the two Bouncers, devouring the jewel with their eyes, andscreaming with ecstasy every time it flashed on them in a new light.There, at the opposite side of the table, stood Mr. Godfrey, clappinghis hands like a large child, and singing out softly, "Exquisite!exquisite!" There sat Mr. Franklin in a chair by the book-case, tuggingat his beard, and looking anxiously towards the window. And there, atthe window, stood the object he was contemplating--my lady, having theextract from the Colonel's Will in her hand, and keeping her back turnedon the whole of the company.
She faced me, when I asked for my instructions; and I saw the familyfrown gathering over her eyes, and the family temper twitching at thecorners of her mouth.
"Come to my room in half an hour," she answered. "I shall have somethingto say to you then."
With those words she went out. It was plain enough that she was posedby the same difficulty which had posed Mr. Franklin and me in ourconference at the Shivering Sand. Was the legacy of the Moonstone aproof that she had treated her brother with cruel injustice? or was ita proof that he was worse than the worst she had ever thought of him?Serious questions those for my lady to determine, while her daughter,innocent of all knowledge of the Colonel's character, stood there withthe Colonel's birthday gift in her hand.
Before I could leave the room in my turn, Miss Rachel, alwaysconsiderate to the old servant who had been in the house when she wasborn, stopped me. "Look, Gabriel!" she said, and flashed the jewelbefore my eyes in a ray of sunlight that poured through the window.
Lord bless us! it WAS a Diamond! As large, or nearly, as a plover's egg!The light that streamed from it was like the light of the harvest moon.When you looked down into the stone, you looked into a yellow deepthat drew your eyes into it so that they saw nothing else. It seemedunfathomable; this jewel, that you could hold between your finger andthumb, seemed unfathomable as the heavens themselves. We set it in thesun, and then shut the light out of the room, and it shone awfully outof the depths of its own brightness, with a moony gleam, in the dark. Nowonder Miss Rachel was fascinated: no wonder her cousins screamed.
TheDiamond laid such a hold on ME that I burst out with as large an "O" asthe Bouncers themselves. The only one of us who kept his senses was Mr.Godfrey. He put an arm round each of his sister's waists, and, lookingcompassionately backwards and forwards between the Diamond and me, said,"Carbon Betteredge! mere carbon, my good friend, after all!"
His object, I suppose, was to instruct me. All he did, however, was toremind me of the dinner. I hobbled off to my army of waiters downstairs.As I went out, Mr. Godfrey said, "Dear old Betteredge, I have the truestregard for him!" He was embracing his sisters, and ogling Miss Rachel,while he honoured me with that testimony of affection. Something likea stock of love to draw on THERE! Mr. Franklin was a perfect savage bycomparison with him.
At the end of half an hour, I presented myself, as directed, in mylady's room.
What passed between my mistress and me, on this occasion, was, in themain, a repetition of what had passed between Mr. Franklin and me at theShivering Sand--with this difference, that I took care to keep my owncounsel about the jugglers, seeing that nothing had happened to justifyme in alarming my lady on this head. When I received my dismissal, Icould see that she took the blackest view possible of the Colonel'smotives, and that she was bent on getting the Moonstone out of herdaughter's possession at the first opportunity.
On my way back to my own part of the house, I was encountered by Mr.Franklin. He wanted to know if I had seen anything of his cousin Rachel.I had seen nothing of her. Could I tell him where his cousin Godfreywas? I didn't know; but I began to suspect that cousin Godfrey mightnot be far away from cousin Rachel. Mr. Franklin's suspicions apparentlytook the same turn. He tugged hard at his beard, and went and shuthimself up in the library with a bang of the door that had a world ofmeaning in it.
I was interrupted no more in the business of preparing for the birthdaydinner till it was time for me to smarten myself up for receiving thecompany. Just as I had got my white waistcoat on, Penelope presentedherself at my toilet, on pretence of brushing what little hair I havegot left, and improving the tie of my white cravat. My girl was in highspirits, and I saw she had something to say to me. She gave me a kisson the top of my bald head, and whispered, "News for you, father! MissRachel has refused him."
"Who's 'HIM'?" I asked.
"The ladies' committee-man, father," says Penelope. "A nasty sly fellow!I hate him for trying to supplant Mr. Franklin!"
If I had had breath enough, I should certainly have protested againstthis indecent way of speaking of an eminent philanthropic character.But my daughter happened to be improving the tie of my cravat at thatmoment, and the whole strength of her feelings found its way into herfingers. I never was more nearly strangled in my life.
"I saw him take her away alone into the rose-garden," says Penelope."And I waited behind the holly to see how they came back. They had goneout arm-in-arm, both laughing. They came back, walking separate, asgrave as grave could be, and looking straight away from each other in amanner which there was no mistaking. I never was more delighted, father,in my life! There's one woman in the world who can resist Mr. GodfreyAblewhite, at any rate; and, if I was a lady, I should be another!"
Here I should have protested again. But my daughter had got thehair-brush by this time, and the whole strength of her feelingshad passed into THAT. If you are bald, you will understand how shesacrificed me. If you are not, skip this bit, and thank God you have gotsomething in the way of a defence between your hair-brush and your head.
"Just on the other side of the holly," Penelope went on, "Mr. Godfreycame to a standstill. 'You prefer,' says he, 'that I should stop here asif nothing had happened?' Miss Rachel turned on him like lightning. 'Youhave accepted my mother's invitation,' she said; 'and you are here tomeet her guests. Unless you wish to make a scandal in the house, youwill remain, of course!' She went on a few steps, and then seemed torelent a little. 'Let us forget what has passed, Godfrey,' she said,'and let us remain cousins still.' She gave him her hand. He kissed it,which I should have considered taking a liberty, and then she left him.He waited a little by himself, with his head down, and his heel grindinga hole slowly in the gravel walk; you never saw a man look more put outin your life. 'Awkward!' he said between his teeth, when he looked up,and went on to the house--'very awkward!' If that was his opinion ofhimself, he was quite right. Awkward enough, I'm sure. And the end of itis, father, what I told you all along," cries Penelope, finishing me offwith a last scarification, the hottest of all. "Mr. Franklin's the man!"
I got possession of the hair-brush, and opened my lips to administer thereproof which, you will own, my daughter's language and conduct richlydeserved.
Before I could say a word, the crash of carriage-wheels outside struckin, and stopped me. The first of the dinner-company had come. Penelopeinstantly ran off. I put on my coat, and looked in the glass. My headwas as red as a lobster; but, in other respects, I was as nicely dressedfor the ceremonies of the evening as a man need be. I got into the halljust in time to announce the two first of the guests. You needn't feelparticularly interested about them. Only the philanthropist's father andmother--Mr. and Mrs. Ablewhite.