ese
jewels that he had been collecting about with him, and certainly not his
treasure in money. He must, therefore, have sent these diamonds to the
person, whoever he may be, who had the keeping of his other jewels and
of his money. This certainly points to a bank."

"There is a sensible conjecture. Yes, there is something in that. He
certainly could not have carried about him 50,000 pounds in gold and
as much in jewelry; it would have been the act of a madman, and Colonel
Thorndyke, although eccentric and cranky, was not mad. But, on the
other hand, he may have carried about a banker's passbook, or what is
equivalent to it, for the amount that had been deposited with a native
banker or agent, together with a receipt for the box containing the
jewels, and this he might have hidden with the diamonds."

"I don't think that he would have done that; there could have been no
object for his putting the power of demanding his money and valuables
out of his possession."

"Well, well," the lawyer said testily, "it is of no use arguing now what
he might or might not have done. A man who would have taken the trouble
that he did to prevent his daughter knowing that she was an heiress, and
fancied that he was followed about by black fellows, might do anything,
reasonable or unreasonable, under the sun. At any rate, Mr. Thorndyke,
I will carry out your instructions as to inquiries in London, and will
duly inform you of the result; beyond that I must really decline to give
any advice or opinion upon the matter, which is altogether beyond me."

On leaving the lawyer's, Mark went to Bow Street, and related to the
chief the circumstances attending his father's murder.

"I have heard them from the man I sent down at your request, Mr.
Thorndyke, and taking the attempt early in the evening and the
subsequent murder, there can be no doubt that the affair was one of
revenge, and not of robbery. Had the second attempt stood alone, robbery
might have been the object; the mere fact that nothing was stolen in
no way alters the case. Men are often seized with a certain panic after
committing a murder, and fly at once without attempting to carry out
their original purpose. Your father, no doubt, fell heavily, and the man
might well have feared that the fall would be heard; but the previous
attempt precludes the supposition that robbery was at the bottom of it.
It points to a case of revenge, and certainly goes a very long way to
support the th