The Eustace Diamonds · Chapter
Humpty Dumpty explained
Bunfit and Gager, frustrated by the lack of progress in the diamond theft cases, debate theories about Lord George's involvement and the second robbery.
What happens
Bunfit and Gager, frustrated by the lack of progress in the diamond theft cases, debate theories about Lord George's involvement and the second robbery. Gager pursues a lead on Patience Crabstick's whereabouts, while Billy Cann compares the diamonds to Humpty Dumpty, suggesting they are irrecoverable.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Perjury
The detectives' theories revolve around layers of deception, including Lizzie's alleged connivance and the possibility of a staged second robbery.
Class and Privilege
Bunfit and Gager complain that the involvement of lords and ladies hinders police work, as they cannot search or browbeat such individuals.
Truth vs. Appearance
The detectives struggle to discern the true sequence of events amid conflicting appearances and theories about the thefts.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Bunfit
Discusses the diamond thefts with Gager, holding to his theory that Lord George was involved and the second robbery was a plant.
- Mr. Gager
Disagrees with Bunfit's theory, believes Lord George restored the diamonds to Lizzie and then stole them again; pursues a lead on Patience Crabstick.
- Lord George de Bruce Carruthers
Suspected by both detectives of being involved in the diamond thefts, though theories differ on his exact role.
- Lizzie Eustace
Believed by Gager to have connived with Lord George in both the Carlisle and London thefts.
- Patience Crabstick
Gager believes she can reveal the secret of the diamonds' whereabouts; she has disappeared with Lizzie's money and trinkets.
- Billy Cann
Expresses disgust with the handling of the affair and compares the diamonds to Humpty Dumpty, implying they cannot be recovered.
Key passages
“Perhaps, on the whole, more power is lost than gained by habits of secrecy.”
Being overly secretive often undermines one's effectiveness.
Reflects on the detectives' lack of cooperation, which may have delayed solving the case.
“Them diamonds is like 'Umpty Dumpty, Mr. Bunfit. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put 'Umpty Dumpty up again.”
The diamonds are as irrecoverable as Humpty Dumpty after his fall.
Billy Cann uses the nursery rhyme to express that the diamonds are lost forever.