And here
it is! Lord save us, Mr. Franklin, here is the secret that puzzled
everybody, from the great Cuff downwards, ready and waiting, as one may
say, to show itself to YOU! It's the ebb now, sir, as anybody may see
for themselves. How long will it be till the turn of the tide?" He
looked up, and observed a lad at work, at some little distance from us,
mending a net. "Tammie Bright!" he shouted at the top of his voice.
"I hear you!" Tammie shouted back.
"When's the turn of the tide?"
"In an hour's time."
We both looked at our watches.
"We can go round by the coast, Mr. Franklin," said Betteredge; "and get
to the quicksand in that way with plenty of time to spare. What do you
say, sir?"
"Come along!"
On our way to the Shivering Sand, I applied to Betteredge to revive
my memory of events (as affecting Rosanna Spearman) at the period of
Sergeant Cuff's inquiry. With my old friend's help, I soon had the
succession of circumstances clearly registered in my mind. Rosanna's
journey to Frizinghall, when the whole household believed her to be ill
in her own room--Rosanna's mysterious employment of the night-time with
her door locked, and her candle burning till the morning--Rosanna's
suspicious purchase of the japanned tin case, and the two dog's chains
from Mrs.
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