The Moonstone

In the first part of ROBINSON CRUSOE at page one hundred and twenty-nine you will find it thus written: Now I saw though too late the Folly of beginning a Work before we count the Cost and before we judge rightly of our own Strength to go through with it.Only yesterday I opened my ROBINSON CRUSOE at that place. Only this morning (May twenty-first Eighteen hundred and fifty) came my ladys nephew Mr. Franklin Blake and held a short conversation with me as follows: -Betteredge says Mr. Franklin I have been to the lawyers about some family matters; and among other things we have been talking of the loss of the Indian Diamond in my aunts house in Yorkshire two years since. Mr. Bruff thinks as I think that the whole story ought in the interests of truth to be placed on record in writing-and the sooner the better.Not perceiving his drift yet and thinking it always desirable for the sake of peace and quietness to be on the lawyers side I said I thought so too. Mr. Franklin went on.In this matter of the Diamond he said the characters of innocent people have suffered under suspicion already-as you know. The memories of innocent people may suffer hereafter for want of a record of the facts to which those who come after us can appeal. There can be no doubt that this strange family story of ours ought to be told. And I think Betteredge Mr. Bruff and I together have hit on the right way of telling it.Very satisfactory to both of them no doubt. But I failed to see what I myself had to do with it so fa