The Moonstone First Period, Chapter 11 Summary

  • Godfrey is spending the night in one of the guest rooms before returning to London the next day.
  • Everyone is getting ready to go to bed, and Lady Verinder asks Rachel where she'll put the diamond for the night.
  • Rachel says she'll put it in her Indian cabinet (a kind of huge jewelry box) in her boudoir.
  • Lady Verinder offers to keep the diamond for Rachel overnight, but Rachel refuses.
  • Lady Verinder then says they'll discuss it in the morning.
  • Rachel pulls Franklin aside, and shows him that she's wearing the locket he gave her, tucked inside her dress.
  • Betteredge notices that Franklin looks like hell (he hasn't been sleeping well), and suggests that he have a glass of brandy before bed.
  • Godfrey overhears this, and repeats the suggestion.
  • Franklin asks to have the brandy sent up to his bedroom in case he wants it during the night.
  • Betteredge finally goes to bed, but doesn't sleep well.
  • Soon after he's up and dressed the next morning, Penelope comes running up to him, saying that the diamond had disappeared.
  • Betteredge goes up to Rachel's boudoir to see for himself.
  • It's true: the diamond isn't in the cabinet anymore.
  • Rachel seems really upset about it.
  • Godfrey doesn't know what to do, and at first, Franklin is too groggy to think straight.
  • But, after a cup of coffee, Franklin gets himself together.
  • He tells the servants not to touch any of the doors or windows, so that the police will see everything as it was during the night.
  • Then he tries to ask Rachel about it, but she's too upset to see anyone.
  • Lady Verinder doesn't understand it – Rachel won't even talk to her about the diamond, and she's her mother!
  • Franklin proposes that they send for the police, and get the Indians arrested and held on suspicion at the jail in Frizinghall.
  • Lady Verinder approves, and Franklin sets out.
  • When he gets back, he's very discouraged – the Indians were able to prove that they went straight back to Frizinghall after performing on the patio at the Verinders' mansion.
  • Of course, the police in Frizinghall are willing to hold the Indians in jail, anyway.
  • Superintendent Seegrave arrives and starts to question all the servants.
  • He antagonizes them, though – he makes it clear that he suspects that it was one of the servants who stole the diamond.
  • He calls them all into the boudoir, and scolds them for smudging the fresh paint on Rachel's door.
  • He sends them back to their work.
  • He questions Penelope, first, and makes it clear that he suspects her, since she was the last servant to see the diamond the night before.
  • He starts to question Rachel, and she just cries and says that no one will ever find her diamond.
  • She refuses to answer his questions, and actually seems angry that he's there at all.
  • Rachel then has a private conversation with Franklin, and comes back looking angry.
  • Lady Verinder is angry that Seegrave is treating the servants with suspicion.
  • Later, Betteredge is surprised to see Rosanna coming out of the library – she's not supposed to be cleaning in that part of the house during the day.
  • He asks her about it, and she blushes, but explains that she had been cleaning Franklin Blake's room, and found that he'd dropped a ring on the floor and had gone down to give it to him.
  • Betteredge goes into the library to talk to Franklin.
  • Franklin says that Rosanna had acted oddly – she'd given him his ring, yes, but then she'd said a few things about the diamond.
  • She had said that no one would find the culprit – she'd see to that.
  • Betteredge doesn't want to tell Franklin that Rosanna had a history as a thief, so he just says that he'll mention the matter to Lady Verinder.
  • Then Penelope tells him that Rosanna had gone up to her room with a headache.
  • Penelope thinks that it's because Rosanna is in love with Franklin Blake.
  • Seegrave then goes off to Frizinghall to question the Indians, who are still being held in the jail.
  • Mr. Murthwaite agrees to act as interpreter, but Seegrave still isn't able to find out anything from the Indians.