"It seems to me," he said, "that it is foolish going on with this matter. From all that I can see Frisco is the guilty man. But he has disappeared, and I do not think it is worth while hunting him down. To hang him for the murder of a scoundrel like Carr--I beg your pardon Steve but your late uncle was a scoundrel--will be no gratification to any of us. Moreover if he were caught and tried, this letter might have to be produced. I think it best to stop short at this point." Before Stephen could give his opinion, Bess interrupted him, to dwell, after the custom of a woman, on a minor point. "You foolish boy," she said in reproachful tones. "I see that you took the blame of your mother's doings on yourself. That was stupid. You might have trusted me!" "My dear Bess, I could not blacken her memory, even to you. "Perhaps not; but I should have understood. Now that I think of it," she added, "I wonder that I was so foolish as to believe you. It was entirely opposed to your nature to fire at a dead man." Stephen winced. "Do not say anything more about it Bess," he said, "she did that. Let the matter rest there. And now about continuing the search. I agree with Jim;--it is best to do nothing more." "I am not so sure of that," replied Bess obstinately, "you see Santiago may still try and get the money." "No," said Jim positively, "I do not think so. He has been found out. His conspiracy is at an end. He knows that any further move on his part will meet with failure. Believe me, he will return to Mexico, and give up fighting. The wisest thing he can do." "What about Joyce?" asked Marsh-Carr. "He is worse than useless. Take away Don Manuel, and Joyce is lost. He has neither the pluck nor the intelligence to carry through a plot on his own account." "But his father Frisco may use him as an instrument." "Frisco has to clear himself first. Joyce knows if he does anything with his father that, I can have him arrested. Rather than that should happen I believe he would give up Frisco to justice." Bess shuddered. "His own father!" she exclaimed. "Oh! as to that, you can hardly blame Joyce if he does not feel particularly filial. His father has done nothing for him. Besides Joyce senior deserted his wife, and Robin was devoted to his mother. It is one of the best traits in his otherwise poor character. No, Bess, I think if Robin came to chose between his own skin and that of Frisco, his father would be the one to suffer. Robin believes in everyone for himself." "He is a wicked little wretch!" "He is and he is not. Weak rather than wicked. His scheme to mix you up in the murder by means of that pistol was invented by the Mexican. Joyce only did as he was told."