All perfectly plain, so far.

But," says the Sergeant, with the first tone of impatience in his voice that I had heard yet, "the mystery is--what the devil has she hidden in the tin case ?" I thought to myself, "The Moonstone!" But I only said to Sergeant Cuff, "Can't you guess ?" "It's not the Diamond," says the Sergeant.

"The whole experience of my life is at fault, if Rosanna Spearman has got the Diamond." On hearing those words, the infernal detective-fever began, I suppose, to burn in me again.

At any rate, I forgot myself in the interest of guessing this new riddle.

I said rashly, "The stained dress!" Sergeant Cuff stopped short in the dark, and laid his hand on my arm.
"Is anything thrown into that quicksand of yours, ever thrown up on the surface again ?" he asked.
"Never," I answered.