e war chest
was at its fullest. Never, so he tells me, was there so much money in
the war chest as at that particular time. Something had occurred that in
his opinion called for extra watchfulness, and so he doubled the guard.
But about midnight there was a tremendous explosion. The strong door
communicating with the passage was wrenched from its hinges and flung
outwards into the hallway. It is said that dynamite must have been used,
and that in a very large quantity. Not a vestige of the chest remained
but a few splintered pieces of iron. The four soldiers in the room were
blown literally to pieces, and those in the passage-way were stunned by
the shock. The fact that they were unconscious for some minutes seems
to have given the criminal, whoever he was, his chance of escape. For,
although an instant alarm was sent out, and none but those who had a
right to be on the premises were allowed out of or in the Treasury, yet
no one was caught, nor has anyone been caught up to this day."

"But the gold, the gold?" cried Jennie eagerly.

"There was not a florin of it left. Every piece has disappeared. It is
at once the most clever and the most gigantic robbery of money that has
taken place within our knowledge."

"But such a quantity of gold," said Jennie, "must have been of enormous
weight. Two hundred million florins! Why, that is twenty million pounds,
isn't it? It would take a regiment of thieves to carry so much away. How
has that been done? And where is the gold concealed?"

"Ah, my child, if you can answer your own questions the Austrian
Government will pay you almost any sum you like to name. The police are
completely baffled. Of course, nothing has been said of this gigantic
robbery; but every exit from Vienna is watched, and not only that, but
each frontier is guarded. What the Government wants, of course, is to
get back its gold, the result of years of taxation, which cannot very
easily be re-levied."

"And when did this robbery take place?" asked Jennie.

"On the night of the 17th."

"On the night of the 17th," repeated the girl, more to herself than to
the voluble old woman; "and it was on the 16th that the Premier made his
war speech."

"Exactly," said the old lady, who overheard the remark not intended
for her ears; "and don't you think there was something striking in the
coincidence?"

"I don't quite understand. What coincidence?"

"Well, you know the speech of the Premier was against England. It