There were tears in Silwood's eyes as he spoke the last words. Seeing them, Gilbert marvelled at the strange intricacies of the human soul, but held his peace. "Your wife sends her love to you," said the doctor, on his return, "and bids you not fret about her. Here is the key." "Thank you, doctor. Give the key to this gentleman here," and Silwood with his eyes indicated that it should be given to Gilbert. This done, the doctor retired. "That key," Silwood resumed, "is the key of a compartment in the Minnesota Safety Deposit Vaults, in which you will find not only all the money, in the form of bank-notes, bonds payable to bearer, and other easily negotiable securities, that I owe to the firm of Eversleigh, Silwood and Eversleigh, but a good deal more than I owe." "Where are these Safety Deposit Vaults?" asked Gilbert. "In St. Paul," whispered Hankey, bending towards him. "Yes, in St. Paul," said Silwood, who had overheard. "And all the money is there in bonds and so forth?" asked Gilbert. "That and more, for I have made money. Always, always, all my life, have I longed to possess a great store of money; it was my passion--money, money, always money; always more money," said Silwood, with a passing gleam in his eyes; then a deep sigh escaped him. "You will find there is far more than enough to recoup the firm." Gilbert listened in amazement, revolving what manner of man this was to have acted as he had done through all these silent years. "And more than enough to pay that annuity to my wife and child," Silwood went on. "Now promise me once more that you will pay them what I have asked, and then I will tell you the whole story. Do you promise?" "Yes, I promise," said Gilbert. "Then my mind is at rest, so far as they are concerned. And all is well," said Silwood, as if he had never done anything wrong in his life. Then he began--