selves will explain the rest. The god of the moon is
represented, in the Hindoo mythology, as a four-armed deity, seated on
an antelope; and one of his titles is the regent of the night. Here,
then, to begin with, is something which looks suspiciously like an
indirect reference to the Moonstone. Now, let us see what the Indians
did, after the prison authorities had allowed them to receive their
letter. On the very day when they were set free they went at once to the
railway station, and took their places in the first train that
started for London. We all thought it a pity at Frizinghall that their
proceedings were not privately watched. But, after Lady Verinder had
dismissed the police-officer, and had stopped all further inquiry
into the loss of the Diamond, no one else could presume to stir in the
matter. The Indians were free to go to London, and to London they went.
What was the next news we heard of them, Mr. Bruff?"

"They were annoying Mr. Luker," I answered, "by loitering about the
house at Lambeth."

"Did you read the report of Mr. Luker's application to the magistrate?"

"Yes."

"In the course of his statement he referred, if you remember, to
a foreign workman in his employment, whom he had just dismissed on
suspicion of attempted theft, and whom he also distrusted as possibly
acting in collusion with the Indians who had annoyed him. The inference
is pretty plain, Mr. Bruff, as to who wrote that letter which puzzled
you just now, and as to which of Mr. Luker's Oriental treasures the
workman had attempted to steal."

The inference (as I hastened to acknowledge) was too plain to need being
pointed out. I had never doubted that the Moonstone had found its way
into Mr. Luker's hands, at the time Mr. Murthwaite alluded to. My only
question had been, How had the Indians discovered the circumstance? This
question (the most difficult to deal with of all, as I had thought) had
now received its answer, like the rest. Lawyer as I was, I began to feel
that I might trust Mr. Murthwaite to lead me blindfold through the last
windings of the labyrinth, along which he had guided me thus far. I paid
him the compliment of telling him this, and found my little concession
very graciously received.

"You shall give me a piece of information in your turn before we go
on," he said. "Somebody must have taken the Moonstone from Yorkshire
to London. And somebody must have raised money on it, or it would never
have been in Mr. Luk