Her ladyship
honoured me by a little friendly pat on the shoulder. I looked with
righteous indignation at the Sergeant, to see what he thought of such a
testimony as THAT. The Sergeant looked back like a lamb, and seemed to
like me better than ever.
My lady informed him that he might continue his statement. "I
understand," she said, "that you have honestly done your best, in what
you believe to be my interest. I am ready to hear what you have to say
next."
"What I have to say next," answered Sergeant Cuff, "relates to Rosanna
Spearman. I recognised the young woman, as your ladyship may remember,
when she brought the washing-book into this room. Up to that time I was
inclined to doubt whether Miss Verinder had trusted her secret to any
one. When I saw Rosanna, I altered my mind. I suspected her at once of
being privy to the suppression of the Diamond. The poor creature has met
her death by a dreadful end, and I don't want your ladyship to think,
now she's gone, that I was unduly hard on her. If this had been a common
case of thieving, I should have given Rosanna the benefit of the doubt
just as freely as I should have given it to any of the other servants in
the house.
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