"Not such a fool, my dear. But Ritson returned from Paris to-day, and I saw him by chance in the street. We went to his office, and I asked him, on, Dr. Browne's behalf, as Mr. Herries' friend, mind you, how matters stood." "Well?" asked Herries anxiously. "Well!" echoed the Cheap-jack, "he said that Miss Tedder was mad to find that she had been disinherited, and was still in London with Mrs. Mountford and the Captain, seeing if the will could be upset." "Has she any money?" demanded Elspeth. "Oh, yes. Her father left her one thousand a year to get along on." "And she is using that to ruin me," said Herries bitterly. "You can't blame her," retorted Kind quickly, "one thousand a year is a drop from fifty thousand. However, she and her lover and Mrs. Mountford are in London, so that disposes of them for the present. Ritson is holding the property, until such time as Herries turns up to claim it." "I can't claim it until I learn who killed my uncle." "Quite so, and you can learn that from Señora Guzman." "Is she still at Pierside?" "Of course. I sneaked along there the other day and learned that the 'Tarabacca' was still alongside the wharf. I didn't go down to the docks as I thought that greaser I knocked down might knife me. Oh, she's there, right enough, and keeps on board most of the time." "I wonder she doesn't go to London to see Captain Kyles." "I wonder also, seeing that she believes, as is really the case, that Kyles is engaged to Miss Tedder. But perhaps she's got something up her sleeve." "What can it be?" mused Elspeth. "Well," said Kind, after a pause, "I really think she is waiting until I bring Herries to her. You see," she went on, without heeding the exclamation of the girl, "she wants to have a yarn with Herries to see how she stands." "In what way?" asked Herries, puzzled. "Well," drawled Kind, again filling his pipe, "if Señora Guzman knew that you get the money if the real assassin of Sir Simon is discovered, she would make it her business to tell who he is, because in that way she would keep Miss Tedder out of the money, and Kyles, whom she loves, from marrying Miss Tedder. So, if you'll take my advice, Mr. Herries, you'll slip along to Pierside to-morrow and see this lady. It's to her interest not to split on you." "It sounds like it I confess." "No, no," said Elspeth, getting off the bed and looking very anxious, "it would be wrong to tempt Providence in that way. Better wait until my father appears. He must have heard something when he was sleeping in the tap-room, and perhaps he'll know the truth." "Señora Guzman knows the truth also, and she is at hand, while your father isn't," retorted the Cheap-jack. "Are you sure she knows the truth?"