This looked very like a dead-lock. My lady said so, in choicer language than mine.
'I have got a plan to meet the difficulty,' said Sergeant Cuff, 'if your ladyship will consent to it. I propose explaining the case to the servants.'
'The women will think themselves suspected directly, I said, interrupting him.
'The women won't, Mr. Betteredge,' answered the Sergeant, 'if I can tell them I am going to examine the wardrobes of EVERYBODY—from her ladyship downwards—who slept in the house on Wednesday night. It's a mere formality,' he added, with a side look at my mistress; 'but the servants will accept it as even dealing between them and their betters; and, instead of hindering the investigation, they will make a point of honour of assisting it.'
I saw the truth of that. My lady, after her first surprise was over, saw the truth of it also.
'You are certain the investigation is necessary?' she said.
'It's the shortest way that I can see, my lady, to the end we have in view.'
My mistress rose to ring the bell for her maid. 'You shall speak to the servants,' she said, 'with the keys of my wardrobe in your hand.'
Sergeant Cuff stopped her by a very unexpected question.
'Hadn't we better make sure first,' he asked, 'that the other ladies and gentlemen in the house will consent, too?'
'The only other lady in the house is Miss Verinder,' answered my mistress, with a look of surprise. 'The only gentlemen are my nephews, Mr. Blake and Mr. Ablewhite. There is not the least fear of a refusal from any of the three.'
I reminded my lady here that Mr. Godfrey was going away. As I said the words, Mr. Godfrey himself knocked at the door to say good-bye, and was followed in by Mr. Franklin, who was going with him to the station. My lady explained the difficulty. Mr. Godfrey settled it directly. He called to Samuel, through the window, to take his portmanteau up-stairs again, and he then put the key himself into Sergeant Cuff's hand. 'My luggage can follow me to London,' he said, 'when the inquiry is over.' The Sergeant received the key with a becoming apology. 'I am sorry to put you to any inconvenience, sir, for a mere formality; but the example of their betters will do wonders in reconciling the servants to this inquiry.' Mr. Godfrey, after taking leave of my lady, in a most sympathising manner? left a farewell message for Miss Rachel, the terms of which made it clear to my mind that he had not taken No for an answer, and that he meant to put the marriage question to her once more, at the next opportunity. Mr. Franklin, on following his cousin out, informed the Sergeant that all his clothes were open to examination, and that nothing he possessed was kept under lock and key. Sergeant Cuff made his best acknowledgments. His views, you will observe, had been met with the utmost readiness by my lady, by Mr. Godfrey, and by Mr. Franklin. There was only Miss. Rachel now wanting to follow their lead, before we called the servants together, and began the search for the stained dress.
My lady's unaccountable objection to the Sergeant seemed to make our conference more distasteful to her than ever, as soon as we were left alone again. 'If I send you down Miss Verinder's keys,' she said to him, 'I presume I shall have done all you want of me for the present?'
'I beg your ladyship's pardon,' said Sergeant Cuff. 'Before we begin, I should like, if convenient, to have the washing-book. The stained article of dress may be an article of linen. If the search leads to nothing, I want to be able to account next for all the linen in the house, and for all the linen sent to the wash. If there is an article missing, there will be at least a presumption that it has got the paint-stain on it, and that it has been purposely made away with, yesterday or to-day, by the person owning it. Superintendent Seegrave,' added the Sergeant, turning to me, 'pointed the attention of the women-servants to the smear, when they all crowded into the room on Thursday morning. That may turn out, Mr. Betteredge, to have been one more of Superintendent Seegrave's many mistakes.'
My lady desired me to ring the bell, and order the washing-book. She remained with us until it was produced, in case Sergeant Cuff had any further request to make of her after looking at it.
The washing-book was brought in by Rosanna Spearman. The girl had come down to breakfast that morning miserably pale and haggard, but sufficiently recovered from her illness of the previous day to do her usual work. Sergeant Cuff looked attentively at our second housemaid—at her face, when she came in; at her crooked shoulder, when she went out.
'Have you anything more to say to me?' asked my lady, still as eager as ever to be out of the Sergeant's society.
