"
"Surely you forget," I said, "that the whole thing is essentially a
matter of the past--so far as I am concerned?"
"Answer me this," retorted Mr. Bruff. "Is the Moonstone at the bottom of
all the mischief--or is it not?"
"It is--of course."
"Very good. What do we believe was done with the Moonstone, when it was
taken to London?"
"It was pledged to Mr. Luker."
"We know that you are not the person who pledged it. Do we know who
did?"
"No."
"Where do we believe the Moonstone to be now?"
"Deposited in the keeping of Mr. Luker's bankers."
"Exactly. Now observe. We are already in the month of June. Towards
the end of the month (I can't be particular to a day) a year will have
elapsed from the time when we believe the jewel to have been pledged.
There is a chance--to say the least--that the person who pawned it, may
be prepared to redeem it when the year's time has expired. If he
redeems it, Mr. Luker must himself--according to the terms of his own
arrangement--take the Diamond out of his banker's hands. Under these
circumstances, I propose setting a watch at the bank, as the present
month draws to an end, and discovering who the person is to whom Mr.
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