Luigi nodded. “Then, you will remember telling me that while you were there a clerk came down from London, bringing with him a parcel of American bonds, for which your grandfather, after having examined and counted them, gave the man a receipt, and that, as soon as the clerk had gone, he asked you to unlock the door of the strong room which opens out of his study, and deposit the bonds in question in a certain drawer marked B. You also said, if I mistake not, that that was the first time you had set foot inside the strong room.” “And the last,” interposed Luigi. “If I recollect rightly, the bonds in question were endorsed ‘Missouri and Eastern Union Preference.’” “That is so.” “That they are a good sound stock may be taken for granted, otherwise your grandfather would not have invested so largely in them. I see by this morning’s newspaper that yesterday they were quoted at from 53 to 53-5/8.” “Yes—what then?” demanded Luigi blankly. He could not imagine what his uncle was driving at. “Merely this, dear boy—that if we could by any means contrive to annex a few of the bonds in question, a way out of our difficulty would at once be opened for us.” The silence that ensued lasted for some minutes. The Captain wanted what he had said to sink into his nephew’s mind. It was a daring suggestion, but, after all, not nearly so audacious as that other suggestion, which had emanated from the same source, that Luigi should personate Sir Gilbert Clare’s dead grandson. That suggestion had borne practical fruit, had, in fact, developed into a splendid success. Why should not this one prove equally as successful? “A very ingenious suggestion indeed, uncle,” said Luigi at length; “but how do you propose to carry it into effect? You talk as if I had in my possession a duplicate key of the strong room.” “That is a mere detail,” responded the Captain airily, “which I have not yet had time to consider.” “Assuming for the moment that we succeed in obtaining possession of the bonds, and that their loss is discovered, what then? “Yes, what then? Why should suspicion fall upon you? Should we decide to carry out the affair, it would have to be in such a way as to leave no possible link which would serve to connect you or me with the missing documents. Besides, I think it not unlikely that some long time would elapse before the bonds would be missed. Your grandfather has apparently bought the stock as a permanent investment, and if such be the case, no reason will exist for him to go through the parcel a second time in order to satisfy himself that none of them have been abstracted. Months, nay years, might elapse without the loss being discovered; it is even possible that Sir Gilbert might die in ignorance thereof. It would be singular, would it not, if the bonds should ultimately come to you as his heir? Looked at from that point of view, you would merely be obtaining an advance on your own property.”