Had the
Sergeant gone of his own accord to the bed-chamber that was prepared for
him? I went up-stairs to see.

After reaching the second landing, I thought I heard a sound of quiet
and regular breathing on my left-hand side. My left-hand side led to the
corridor which communicated with Miss Rachel's room. I looked in, and
there, coiled up on three chairs placed right across the passage--there,
with a red handkerchief tied round his grizzled head, and his
respectable black coat rolled up for a pillow, lay and slept Sergeant
Cuff!

He woke, instantly and quietly, like a dog, the moment I approached him.

"Good night, Mr. Betteredge," he said. "And mind, if you ever take
to growing roses, the white moss rose is all the better for not being
budded on the dog-rose, whatever the gardener may say to the contrary!"

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Why are you not in your proper
bed?"

"I am not in my proper bed," answered the Sergeant, "because I am one
of the many people in this miserable world who can't earn their money
honestly and easily at the same time. There was a coincidence, this
evening, between the period of Rosanna Spearman's return from the Sands
and the period when Miss Verinder stated her resolution to leave the
house. Whatever Rosanna may have hidden, it's clear to my mind that your
young lady couldn't go away until she knew that it WAS hidden. The two
must have communicated privately once already to-night. If they try to
communicate again, when the house is quiet, I want to be in the way, and
stop it. Don't blame me for upsetting your sleeping arrangements, Mr.
Betteredge--blame the Diamond."

"I wish to God the Diamond had never found its way into this house!" I
broke out.

Sergeant Cuff looked with a rueful face at the three chairs on which he
had condemned himself to pass the night.

"So do I," he said, gravely.

CHAPTER XVII

Nothing happened in the night; and (I am happy to add) no attempt at
communication between Miss Rachel and Rosanna rewarded the vigilance of
Sergeant Cuff.

I had expected the Sergeant to set off for Frizinghall the first thing
in the morning. He waited about, however, as if he had something else
to do first. I left him to his own devices; and going into the grounds
shortly after, met Mr. Franklin on his favourite walk by the shrubbery
side.

Before we had exchanged two words, the Sergeant unexpectedly joined
us. He made up to Mr. Franklin, who received hi