Under the stimulating influence, the latest and most vivid impressions left on your mind -- namely, the impressions relating to the Diamond --would be likely, in your morbidly sensitive nervous condition, to become intensified in your brain, and would subordinate to themselves your judgment and your will -- exactly as an ordinary dream subordinates to itself your judgment and your will.Little by little, under this action, any apprehensions about the safety of the Diamond which you might have felt during the day would be liable to develop themselves from the state of doubt to the state of certainty -- would impel you into practical action to preserve the jewel -- would direct your steps, with that motive in view, into the room which you entered -- and would guide your hand to the drawers of the cabinet, until you had found the drawer which held the stone.In the spiritualized 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.Blake -- I dare not say more -- that your idea of preserving the Diamond led, by a natural sequence, to the idea of hiding the Diamond, and that the place in which you hid it was somewhere in your bedroom.In that event, the case of the Irish porter may be your case.
You may remember, under the influence of the second dose of opium, the place in which you hid the Diamond under the influence of the first.'
It was my turn, now, to enlighten Ezra Jennings.I stopped him, before he could say any more.
`You are speculating,' I said, `on a result which cannot possibly take place.The Diamond is, at this moment, in London.'
He started, and looked at me in great surprise.
`In London?' he repeated.`How did it get to London from Lady Verinder's house?'
`Nobody knows.'
`You removed it with your own hand from Miss Verinder's room.How was it taken out of your keeping?'
`I have no idea how it was taken out of my keeping.'
`Did you see it, when you woke in the morning?'
`No.'
`Has Miss Verinder recovered possession of it?'
`No.'
`Mr.Blake! there seems to be something here which wants clearing up.
May I ask how you know that the Diamond is, at this moment, in London?'
I had put precisely the same question to Mr.Bruff, when I made my first inquiries about the Moonstone, on my return to England.In answering Ezra Jennings, I accordingly repeated what I had myself heard from the lawyer's own lips -- and what is already familiar to the readers of these pages.
He showed plainly that he was not satisfied with my reply.
`With all deference to you,' he said, `and with all deference to your legal adviser, I maintain the opinion which I expressed just now.It rests, I am well aware, on a mere assumption.Pardon me for reminding you, that your opinion also rests on a mere assumption as well.'
The view he took of the matter was entirely new to me.I waited anxiously to hear how he would defend it.
` I assume,' pursued Ezra Jennings, `that the influence of the opium -- after impelling you to possess yourself of the Diamond, with the purpose of securing its safety -- might also impel you, acting under the same influence and the same motive, to hide it somewhere in your own room.You assume that the Hindoo conspirators could by no possibility commit a mistake.The Indians went to Mr.Luker's house after the Diamond -- and, therefore, in Mr.Luker's possession the Diamond must be! Have you any evidence to prove that the Moonstone was taken to London at all?
You can't even guess how, or by whom, it was removed from Lady Verinder's house! Have you any evidence that the jewel was pledged to Mr.Luker? He declares that he never heard of the Moonstone; and his bankers' receipt acknowledges nothing but the deposit of a valuable of great price.The Indians assume that Mr.Luker is lying -- and you assume again that the Indians are right.All I say, in differing with you, is -- that my view is possible.What more, Mr.Blake, either logically or legally, can be said for yours?'
It was put strongly; but there was no denying that it was put truly as well.
`I confess you stagger me,' I replied.`Do you object to my writing to Mr.Bruff, and telling him what you have said?'
`On the contrary, I shall be glad if you will write to Mr.Bruff.If we consult his experience, we may see the matter under a new light.For the present, let us return to our experiment with the opium.We have decided that you leave off the habit of smoking from this moment.'
`From this moment?'
`That is the first step.The next step is to reproduce, as nearly as we can, the domestic circumstances which surrounded you last year.'