The Moonstone

The Moonstone

by

Wilkie Collins

A “renowned and capable” detective from London who takes over the case from Seegrave and plays an important part in unearthing the mystery surrounding the Moonstone’s theft. Honest and wise, Cuff manages to win people’s trust, collaborate with other detective figures (namely Gabriel Betteredge, Franklin Blake, and Mr. Bruff), and gather crucial information through casual conversations with people connected to the crime, a strategy which contrasts with Seegrave’s ruthless interrogations and refusal to collaborate with anyone in the household. In contrast to his dutiful and unsentimental attitude toward his work, Cuff is inexplicably obsessed with roses, and so spends most of his free time at the Verinder estate arguing with the gardener about the best way to grow them. After his lengthy, detailed investigation, he realizes that Rachel is hiding something and admits that he thinks she still has the Moonstone. In response, although she appreciates Cuff’s work, Lady Julia dismisses him to protect her family’s honor. He soon goes into retirement, moving to a countryside cottage with a rose-garden, but not before making a series of accurate predictions about what will happen at the Verinder estate in the week after his departure. A year later, he comes out of retirement to help resolve the case, and ultimately he is the one to unmask the disguised Godfrey Ablewhite, the Moonstone’s true thief. In his short narrative just thereafter, Cuff reveals Godfrey’s secret double life and financial motivations for the crime. Cuff is in many ways the classic detective figure and sets the bar for such characters—although, unlike many of these later detectives, he does not single-handedly solve the case.

Sergeant Cuff Quotes in The Moonstone

The The Moonstone quotes below are all either spoken by Sergeant Cuff or refer to Sergeant Cuff. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Detective Methods and Genre Standards Theme Icon
).
The Loss of the Diamond: 16 Quotes

“Do you mean to tell me, in plain English,” I said, “that Miss Rachel has stolen her own Diamond?”

“Yes,” says the Sergeant; “that is what I mean to tell you, in so many words. Miss Verinder has been in secret possession of the Moonstone from first to last; and she has taken Rosanna Spearman into her confidence, because she has calculated on our suspecting Rosanna Spearman of the theft. There is the whole case in a nutshell. Collar me again, Mr. Betteredge. If it's any vent to your feelings, collar me again.”

Related Characters: Gabriel Betteredge (speaker), Sergeant Cuff (speaker), Miss Rachel Verinder, Rosanna Spearman
Related Symbols: The Moonstone
Page Number: 143
Explanation and Analysis:
The Loss of the Diamond: 20 Quotes

People in high life have all the luxuries to themselves—among others, the luxury of indulging their feelings. People in low life have no such privilege. Necessity, which spares our betters, has no pity on as. We learn to put our feelings back into ourselves, and to jog on with our duties as patiently as may be. I don't complain of this—I only notice it.

Related Characters: Gabriel Betteredge (speaker), Franklin Blake , Miss Rachel Verinder, Sergeant Cuff, Rosanna Spearman, Penelope Betteredge
Page Number: 167-8
Explanation and Analysis:
The Loss of the Diamond: 21 Quotes

I am (thank God!) constitutionally superior to reason. This enabled me to hold firm to my lady's view, which was my view also. This roused my spirit, and made me put a bold face on it before Sergeant Cuff. Profit, good friends, I beseech you, by my example. It will save you from many troubles of the vexing sort. Cultivate a superiority to reason, and see how you pare the claws of all the sensible people when they try to scratch you for your own good!

Related Characters: Gabriel Betteredge (speaker), Miss Rachel Verinder, Sergeant Cuff, Lady Julia Verinder
Page Number: 174
Explanation and Analysis:
The Loss of the Diamond: 22 Quotes

“Her ladyship has smoothed matters over for the present very cleverly,” said the Sergeant. “But this family scandal is of the sort that bursts up again when you least expect it. We shall have more detective-business on our hands, sir, before the Moonstone is many months older.”

Related Characters: Sergeant Cuff (speaker), Miss Rachel Verinder, Gabriel Betteredge, Lady Julia Verinder
Related Symbols: The Moonstone
Page Number: 184
Explanation and Analysis:
The Discovery of the Truth 3: 3 Quotes

“Do you feel an uncomfortable heat at the pit of your stomach, sir? And a nasty thumping at the top of your head? Ah! not yet? It will lay hold of you at Cobb's Hole, Mr. Franklin. I call it the detective-fever; and I first caught it in the company of Sergeant Cuff.”

Related Characters: Gabriel Betteredge (speaker), Franklin Blake , Sergeant Cuff, Rosanna Spearman
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:
The Discovery of the Truth 5 Quotes

“It's only in books that the officers of the detective force are superior to the weakness of making a mistake.”

Related Characters: Sergeant Cuff (speaker), Franklin Blake
Page Number: 437
Explanation and Analysis:

“Robbery!” whispered the boy, pointing, in high delight, to the empty box.
“You were told to wait downstairs,” I said. “Go away!”

“And Murder!” added Gooseberry, pointing, with a keener relish still, to the man on the bed.

There was something so hideous in the boy's enjoyment of the horror of the scene, that I took him by the two shoulders and put him out of the room.

Related Characters: Franklin Blake (speaker), Gooseberry (speaker), Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite, Sergeant Cuff
Page Number: 447
Explanation and Analysis:
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Sergeant Cuff Quotes in The Moonstone

The The Moonstone quotes below are all either spoken by Sergeant Cuff or refer to Sergeant Cuff. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Detective Methods and Genre Standards Theme Icon
).
The Loss of the Diamond: 16 Quotes

“Do you mean to tell me, in plain English,” I said, “that Miss Rachel has stolen her own Diamond?”

“Yes,” says the Sergeant; “that is what I mean to tell you, in so many words. Miss Verinder has been in secret possession of the Moonstone from first to last; and she has taken Rosanna Spearman into her confidence, because she has calculated on our suspecting Rosanna Spearman of the theft. There is the whole case in a nutshell. Collar me again, Mr. Betteredge. If it's any vent to your feelings, collar me again.”

Related Characters: Gabriel Betteredge (speaker), Sergeant Cuff (speaker), Miss Rachel Verinder, Rosanna Spearman
Related Symbols: The Moonstone
Page Number: 143
Explanation and Analysis:
The Loss of the Diamond: 20 Quotes

People in high life have all the luxuries to themselves—among others, the luxury of indulging their feelings. People in low life have no such privilege. Necessity, which spares our betters, has no pity on as. We learn to put our feelings back into ourselves, and to jog on with our duties as patiently as may be. I don't complain of this—I only notice it.

Related Characters: Gabriel Betteredge (speaker), Franklin Blake , Miss Rachel Verinder, Sergeant Cuff, Rosanna Spearman, Penelope Betteredge
Page Number: 167-8
Explanation and Analysis:
The Loss of the Diamond: 21 Quotes

I am (thank God!) constitutionally superior to reason. This enabled me to hold firm to my lady's view, which was my view also. This roused my spirit, and made me put a bold face on it before Sergeant Cuff. Profit, good friends, I beseech you, by my example. It will save you from many troubles of the vexing sort. Cultivate a superiority to reason, and see how you pare the claws of all the sensible people when they try to scratch you for your own good!

Related Characters: Gabriel Betteredge (speaker), Miss Rachel Verinder, Sergeant Cuff, Lady Julia Verinder
Page Number: 174
Explanation and Analysis:
The Loss of the Diamond: 22 Quotes

“Her ladyship has smoothed matters over for the present very cleverly,” said the Sergeant. “But this family scandal is of the sort that bursts up again when you least expect it. We shall have more detective-business on our hands, sir, before the Moonstone is many months older.”

Related Characters: Sergeant Cuff (speaker), Miss Rachel Verinder, Gabriel Betteredge, Lady Julia Verinder
Related Symbols: The Moonstone
Page Number: 184
Explanation and Analysis:
The Discovery of the Truth 3: 3 Quotes

“Do you feel an uncomfortable heat at the pit of your stomach, sir? And a nasty thumping at the top of your head? Ah! not yet? It will lay hold of you at Cobb's Hole, Mr. Franklin. I call it the detective-fever; and I first caught it in the company of Sergeant Cuff.”

Related Characters: Gabriel Betteredge (speaker), Franklin Blake , Sergeant Cuff, Rosanna Spearman
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:
The Discovery of the Truth 5 Quotes

“It's only in books that the officers of the detective force are superior to the weakness of making a mistake.”

Related Characters: Sergeant Cuff (speaker), Franklin Blake
Page Number: 437
Explanation and Analysis:

“Robbery!” whispered the boy, pointing, in high delight, to the empty box.
“You were told to wait downstairs,” I said. “Go away!”

“And Murder!” added Gooseberry, pointing, with a keener relish still, to the man on the bed.

There was something so hideous in the boy's enjoyment of the horror of the scene, that I took him by the two shoulders and put him out of the room.

Related Characters: Franklin Blake (speaker), Gooseberry (speaker), Mr. Godfrey Ablewhite, Sergeant Cuff
Page Number: 447
Explanation and Analysis: