"But if she is right in saying that Señora Guzman is the guilty person, she will have done everything towards getting the fortune for Angus." "So that she may secure half of it, if he is not hanged. And if he escapes, it will be no thanks to her." "Do you think she is telling the truth?" "I really can't say," murmured Kind, nursing his chin. "Of course she is jealous of Señora Guzman, and would do anything to get her out of the way. It seems to me that Captain Bruce Kyles is trifling with both these women. Tell me again exactly what Miss Tedder said." Elspeth thought for a moment. "She said that her father wrote the letter, which Mr. Ritson mentioned to you, to Señora Guzman, asking her to come to the 'Marsh Inn.' She came, and Sir Simon proposed to pay her enough money to fit out some expedition, on condition that she,--the Señora that is,--took Captain Bruce Kyles away from England,--removed him from Maud's path in fact." "Humph. I remember Señora Guzman's reference to an expedition in search of some treasure. It might be, that her real reason in coming to England was to get funds. But if this Mexican lady loves Kyles, and Sir Simon was willing to pay her for loving him, why did she murder him?" "To get the money, Maud says." "But she could have got the money in any case," argued Kind, who was much perplexed by the present aspect of the affair. "Why commit a useless crime? I don't believe she did it." "But you remember," Elspeth reminded him, "you remember that you found the stump of a Tangerian cigarette on the floor of----" "Yes, yes,--and Señora Guzman smokes that brand. But other people may smoke the same sort of cigarettes,--for instance Captain Kyles," and Sweetlips looked keenly at Elspeth. "Do you think that he----?" "No. Mrs. Mountford, whom I have seen, told me that Captain Kyles was with Maud Tedder on the night of the murder. He could not be in two places at once, could he? But then that kidnapping--the crew of the 'Tarabacca' certainly kidnapped Armour under the impression that he was some spy,--that looks as though their mistress was in the hotel at the time, and they were removing danger from her path. And again, Señora Guzman could easily swarm up those light trellis spars under the window of the bedroom." "In petticoats?" "Pooh. A daring woman like that is quite capable of assuming a sailor's dress to carry out her object." "Then you think she was there--that she is guilty?" "I think, on the authority of the cigarette stump, that she was in the hotel, but I don't say that she is guilty. She did not kill Sir Simon, for I can see no motive for her committing the crime." "Nevertheless," urged Elspeth, "as the cigarette stump was found in my husband's bedroom she must have been there."