This prefatory narrative I have already got by me in the form of an old family paper, which relates the necessary particulars on the authority of an eye-witness.

The next thing to do is to tell how the Diamond found its way into my aunt's house in Yorkshire, two years ago, and how it came to be lost in little more than twelve hours afterwards.

Nobody knows as much as you do, Betteredge, about what went on in the house at that time.

So you must take the pen in hand, and start the story." In those terms I was informed of what my personal concern was with the matter of the Diamond.

If you are curious to know what course I took under the circumstances, I beg to inform you that I did what you would probably have done in my place.