Among other things, he has, by his own confession, set the servants' backs up.

It's very important to smooth them down again.

Tell your daughter, and tell the rest of them, these two things, with my compliments: First, that I have no evidence before me, yet, that the Diamond has been stolen; I only know that the Diamond has been lost.

Second, that my business here with the servants is simply to ask them to lay their heads together and help me to find it." My experience of the women-servants, when Superintendent Seegrave laid his embargo on their rooms, came in handy here.
"May I make so bold, Sergeant, as to tell the women a third thing ?" I asked.

"Are they free (with your compliments) to fidget up and downstairs, and whisk in and out of their bed-rooms, if the fit takes them ?" "Perfectly free," said the Sergeant.
"THAT will smooth them down, sir," I remarked, "from the cook to the scullion." "Go, and do it at once, Mr.Betteredge." I did it in less than five minutes.