After breakfast, Mr.Franklin and I had a private conference on the subject of the Moonstone--the time having now come for removing it from the bank at Frizinghall, and placing it in Miss Rachel's own hands.
Whether he had been trying to make love to his cousin again, and had got a rebuff--or whether his broken rest, night after night, was aggravating the queer contradictions and uncertainties in his character--I don't know.

But certain it is, that Mr.Franklin failed to show himself at his best on the morning of the birthday.

He was in twenty different minds about the Diamond in as many minutes.

For my part, I stuck fast by the plain facts aa we knew them.

Nothing had happened to justify us in alarming my lady on the subject of the jewel; and nothing could alter the legal obligation that now lay on Mr.Franklin to put it in his cousin's possession.