She made him no answer when he had done. It didn't seem to matter to the
Sergeant whether he was answered or not. On he went (devil take him!),
just as steady as ever.
"Having stated the whole case as I understand it," he said, "I have only
to tell your ladyship, now, what I propose to do next. I see two ways of
bringing this inquiry successfully to an end. One of those ways I look
upon as a certainty. The other, I admit, is a bold experiment, and
nothing more. Your ladyship shall decide. Shall we take the certainty
first?"
My mistress made him a sign to take his own way, and choose for himself.
"Thank you," said the Sergeant. "We'll begin with the certainty, as your
ladyship is so good as to leave it to me. Whether Miss Verinder remains
at Frizinghall, or whether she returns here, I propose, in either case,
to keep a careful watch on all her proceedings--on the people she sees,
on the rides and walks she may take, and on the letters she may write
and receive."
"What next?" asked my mistress.
"I shall next," answered the Sergeant, "request your ladyship's leave to
introduce into the house, as a servant in the place of Rosanna Spearman,
a woman accustomed to private inquiries of this sort, for whose
discretion I can answer.
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