EIGHTH NARRATIVE
Contributed by GABRIEL BETTEREDGE
I am the person (as you remember no doubt) who led the way in thesepages, and opened the story. I am also the person who is left behind, asit were, to close the story up.
Let nobody suppose that I have any last words to say here concerning theIndian Diamond. I hold that unlucky jewel in abhorrence--and I refer youto other authority than mine, for such news of the Moonstone as you may,at the present time, be expected to receive. My purpose, in this place,is to state a fact in the history of the family, which has been passedover by everybody, and which I won't allow to be disrespectfullysmothered up in that way. The fact to which I allude is--the marriage ofMiss Rachel and Mr. Franklin Blake. This interesting event took place atour house in Yorkshire, on Tuesday, October ninth, eighteen hundred andforty-nine. I had a new suit of clothes on the occasion. And the marriedcouple went to spend the honeymoon in Scotland.
Family festivals having been rare enough at our house, since my poormistress's death, I own--on this occasion of the wedding--to having(towards the latter part of the day) taken a drop too much on thestrength of it.
If you have ever done the same sort of thing yourself you willunderstand and feel for me. If you have not, you will very likely say,"Disgusting old man! why does he tell us this?" The reason why is now tocome.
Having, then, taken my drop (bless you! you have got your favouritevice, too; only your vice isn't mine, and mine isn't yours), I nextapplied the one infallible remedy--that remedy being, as you know,ROBINSON CRUSOE. Where I opened that unrivalled book, I can't say. Wherethe lines of print at last left off running into each other, I know,however, perfectly well. It was at page three hundred and eighteen--adomestic bit concerning Robinson Crusoe's marriage, as follows:
"With those Thoughts, I considered my new Engagement, that I had a Wife"--(Observe! so had Mr. Franklin!)--"one Child born"--(Observe again!that might yet be Mr. Franklin's case, too!)--"and my Wife then"--WhatRobinson Crusoe's wife did, or did not do, "then," I felt no desire todiscover. I scored the bit about the Child with my pencil, and put amorsel of paper for a mark to keep the place; "Lie you there," I said,"till the marriage of Mr. Franklin and Miss Rachel is some monthsolder--and then we'll see!"
The months passed (more than I had bargained for), and no occasionpresented itself for disturbing that mark in the book. It was not tillthis present month of November, eighteen hundred and fifty, that Mr.Franklin came into my room, in high good spirits, and said, "Betteredge!I have got some news for you! Something is going to happen in the house,before we are many months older."
"Does it concern the family, sir?" I asked.
"It decidedly concerns the family," says Mr. Franklin.
"Has your good lady anything to do with it, if you please, sir?"
"She has a great deal to do with it," says Mr. Franklin, beginning tolook a little surprised.
"You needn't say a word more, sir," I answered. "God bless you both! I'mheartily glad to hear it."
Mr. Franklin stared like a person thunderstruck. "May I venture toinquire where you got your information?" he asked. "I only got mine(imparted in the strictest secrecy) five minutes since."
Here was an opportunity of producing ROBINSON CRUSOE! Here was a chanceof reading that domestic bit about the child which I had marked on theday of Mr. Franklin's marriage! I read those miraculous words with anemphasis which did them justice, and then I looked him severely in theface. "NOW, sir, do you believe in ROBINSON CRUSOE?" I asked, with asolemnity, suitable to the occasion.
"Betteredge!" says Mr. Franklin, with equal solemnity, "I'm convinced atlast." He shook hands with me--and I felt that I had converted him.
With the relation of this extraordinary circumstance, my reappearancein these pages comes to an end. Let nobody laugh at the unique anecdotehere related. You are welcome to be as merry as you please overeverything else I have written. But when I write of ROBINSON CRUSOE, bythe Lord it's serious--and I request you to take it accordingly!
When this is said, all is said. Ladies and gentlemen, I make my bow, andshut up the story.
EPILOGUE
THE FINDING OF THE DIAMOND