Truth is obviously an important theme in a detective novel. Collins lays the metaphor thick here with the quicksand, conjuring imagery of truth lost in the muddy sands. Rosanna also mentions that she "may own" the truth - but is truth not objective fact? It emphasizes the question of perception versus reality and the epistemology of truth. For Rosanna, truth is what she believed to be true, her truth. She died due to the burden of this truth, fully believing in its validity.

Something that was still begins to "turn", possibly hinting at events turning for the worse. This specific sentence is highlighted by the alliteration of the hard t sound in "time", "turn", and "tide". Furthermore, the peculiar repetitive form in "the of the of the _" emphasizes the intention behind this phrase.

Collins is clearly hinting to the reader of shifting forces behind the scenes. The "big brown face" could allude to the Indians and the curse of the Diamond.