him
some such instructions, for at that time there was hard fighting in
India, and he might have been killed any day, and would therefore
naturally have made some provisions for preventing the secret dying with
him."

"We did not think of it until this morning early, though we have been
rather curious over it ourselves. When we opened it, inside was another
letter addressed 'To be delivered to John Thorndyke, Esquire, at
Crawley, near Hastings, or at Crowswood, Reigate, or in the event of his
death to his executors.'"

"I am one of his executors," Mark said; "Mr. Prendergast, the lawyer,
is the other. I think I had better go round to him tomorrow and open the
letter there."

"Oh, I should think you might open it at once, Thorndyke. It will
probably only contain instructions, and, at any rate, as you have the
coin and the word, you could come round tomorrow morning and get the
chest out if you want it."

"I won't do that," Mark said; "the coffer contains gems worth over
50,000 pounds, and I would very much rather it remained in your keeping
until I decide what to do with it. How large is it?"

"It is a square box, about a foot each way; and it is pretty heavy,
probably from the setting of the jewels. Well, anyhow, I am heartily
glad, Thorndyke. I know, of course, that you are well off, still 100,000
pounds--for the money has doubled itself since we had it--to say nothing
of the jewels, is a nice plum to drop into anyone's mouth."

"Very nice indeed, although only half of it comes to me under my uncle's
will. To tell you the truth, I am more glad that the mystery has been
solved than at getting the money; the affair was a great worry to my
father, and has been so to me. I felt that I ought to search for the
treasure, and yet the probability of finding it seemed so small that I
felt the thing was hopeless, and that really the only chance was that my
uncle would have taken just the course he did, and have fixed some date
when the treasure should be handed over, if not asked for. I rather
fancied that it would not have been for another three years, for that is
when my cousin comes of age."

"What cousin do you mean?" Philip Cotter asked. "I did not know you had
one."

"Well, that is at present a secret, Cotter--one of the mysteries
connected with my uncle's will. For myself, I would tell it in the
market place tomorrow, but she wishes it to be preserved at present; you
shall certainly know as soon as anyone. By th