The Sergeant remained silent, thinking his own thoughts, till we entered the plantation of firs which led to the quicksand.

There he roused himself, like a man whose mind was made up, and spoke to me again.
"Mr.Betteredge," he said, "as you have honoured me by taking an oar in my boat, and as you may, I think, be of some assistance to me before the evening is out, I see no use in our mystifying one another any longer, and I propose to set you an example of plain speaking on my side.

You are determined to give me no information to the prejudice of Rosanna Spearman, because she has been a good girl to YOU, and because you pity her heartily.

Those humane considerations do you a world of credit, but they happen in this instance to be humane considerations clean thrown away.

Rosanna Spearman is not in the slightest danger of getting into trouble--no, not if I fix her with being concerned in the disappearance of the Diamond, on evidence which is as plain as the nose on your face!" "Do you mean that my lady won't prosecute ?" I asked.
"I mean that your lady CAN'T prosecute," said the Sergeant.