In the spiritualised intoxication of opium, you would do
all that. Later, as the sedative action began to gain on the stimulant
action, you would slowly become inert and stupefied. Later still you
would fall into a deep sleep. When the morning came, and the effect of
the opium had been all slept off, you would wake as absolutely ignorant
of what you had done in the night as if you had been living at the
Antipodes. Have I made it tolerably clear to you so far?"
"You have made it so clear," I said, "that I want you to go farther.
You have shown me how I entered the room, and how I came to take the
Diamond. But Miss Verinder saw me leave the room again, with the jewel
in my hand. Can you trace my proceedings from that moment? Can you guess
what I did next?"
"That is the very point I was coming to," he rejoined. "It is a question
with me whether the experiment which I propose as a means of vindicating
your innocence, may not also be made a means of recovering the lost
Diamond as well. When you left Miss Verinder's sitting-room, with
the jewel in your hand, you went back in all probability to your own
room----"
"Yes? and what then?"
"It is possible, Mr.
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