The Moonstone

Mr. Bruff receives an unexpected visit from a mysterious Indian gentleman seeking a loan, recommended by the nervous Mr. Luker. The visitor is impeccably dressed and polite, but Bruff immediately recognizes him as one of the three Indians pursuing the Moonstone. The Indian presents an ornate jeweled casket as collateral for a loan, but when Bruff refuses to lend to strangers, the man accepts the rejection without argument. However, he asks one final question about loan repayment terms, and this is when Bruff notices the visitor's first genuine interest in the conversation. The Indian wants to know how long borrowers typically have to repay loans—exactly one year. After the visitor leaves, Bruff realizes the entire loan request was a performance designed to extract this specific piece of timing information. Mr. Luker later visits to apologetically explain his terror when the same Indian approached him first. Luker had been so frightened—recognizing the man as one of his previous tormentors—that he blurted out Bruff's name just to get rid of the visitor. The Indian had asked Luker the same final question about loan timing. This chapter reveals how the Indians are methodically gathering intelligence about English customs and legal timeframes, suggesting they're planning something that requires precise timing. Bruff's professional curiosity leads him to grant the interview, demonstrating how even careful people can be drawn into dangerous situations by their own interests.