“I am sorry to put you to any inconvenience, sir, for a mere formality; but the example of their betters will do wonders in reconciling the servants to this inquiry.”  Mr. Godfrey, after taking leave of my lady, in a most sympathising manner? left a farewell message for Miss Rachel, the terms of which made it clear to my mind that he had not taken No for an answer, and that he meant to put the marriage question to her once more, at the next opportunity.  Mr. Franklin, on following his cousin out, informed the Sergeant that all his clothes were open to examination, and that nothing he possessed was kept under lock and key.  Sergeant Cuff made his best acknowledgments.  His views, you will observe, had been met with the utmost readiness by my lady, by Mr. Godfrey, and by Mr. Franklin.  There was only Miss.  Rachel now wanting to follow their lead, before we-called the servants together, and began the search for the stained dress.

My lady’s unaccountable objection to the Sergeant seemed to make our conference more distasteful to her than ever, as soon as we were left alone again.  “If I send you down Miss Verinder’s keys,” she said to him, “I presume I shall have done all you want of me for the present?”

“I beg your ladyship’s pardon,” said Sergeant Cuff.  “Before we begin, I should like, if convenient, to have the washing-book.  The stained article of dress may be an article of linen.  If the search leads to nothing, I want to be able to account next for all the linen in the house, and for all the linen sent to the wash.  If there is an article missing, there will be at least a presumption that it has got the paint-stain on it, and that it has been purposely made away with, yesterday or to-day, by the person owning it.  Superintendent Seegrave,” added the Sergeant, turning to me, “pointed the attention of the women-servants to the smear, when they all crowded into the room on Thursday morning.  That may turn out, Mr. Betteredge, to have been one more of Superintendent Seegrave’s many mistakes.”

My lady desired me to ring the bell, and order the washing-book.  She remained with us until it was produced, in case Sergeant Cuff had any further request to make of her after looking at it.

The washing-book was brought in by Rosanna Spearman.  The girl had come down to breakfast that morning miserably pale and haggard, but sufficiently recovered from her illness of the previous day to do her usual work.  Sergeant Cuff looked attentively at our second housemaid—­at her face, when she came in; at her crooked shoulder, when she went out.

“Have you anything more to say to me?” asked my lady, still as eager as ever to be out of the Sergeant’s society.

The great Cuff opened the washing-book, understood it perfectly in half a minute, and shut it up again.  “I venture to trouble your ladyship with one last question,” he said.  “Has the young woman who brought us this book been in your employment as long as the other servants?”