"I thought you intended yourself to warn Trent," said Elspeth. "So I did, dear, but then, from certain information I learned I fancied that your father might be guilty." "What, papa? Oh no. He would do many wrong things, I know, but not----" "Well," said Herries dryly, "I don't think he'd even stop short of murder to get money. But there is no danger of his doing anything of that sort now, as he has his five hundred a year. He is coming to see us to-night, Elspeth, and then intends to go to-morrow to the North there to live always." "I am glad of that," said the daughter heartily. "Papa is not a good man, Angus, and the further away from us he is the better. But do you know," she added smiling, "I really thought that papa would have married Mrs. Mountford." "There was not the least chance of that, dear, although he certainly admired her. Poor Mrs. Mountford, I am glad I allowed her an annuity as she certainly has had a very bad time. She felt the loss of Maud very much." "Why was not Maud saved?" asked Elspeth. "In all the confusion it was impossible," said Herries earnestly, "for I would have saved her myself in spite of her wickedness had I got my wits about me. But I struck my head against the side of the yacht, when she pushed me over, and the boatmen dragged me quite stunned into their boat. Maud was pushed over immediately afterwards by Señora Guzman, and----" "Who can swear to that?" "Ritson. He saw her do it, and saw Maud push me over. You see, my dear, Maud knew that if I died that the money would come to her, and that was why she wanted to come with me on the yacht. I saw that she had something on her mind, but she would not tell me what it was. And no wonder, seeing that it was her design to push me overboard, and get the cash. Then she thought that Bruce Kyles would marry her." "Had she been successful would he have done that?" "No. He loved Señora Guzman. I think that Kyles behaved very badly. However, he has vanished out of our lives with the four thousand----" "Ah," said Elspeth smiling, "Mr. Ritson has never ceased to mourn for the loss of that." "I think Kyles deserved the money," said Herries, "and Ritson made a good thing out of it, when the property came into my possession. Without that confession, extorted by Kyles from Pope Narby, we would never have got the fortune. But it proved beyond all doubt that Pope was guilty, so everything has turned out for the best. I do not grudge Kyles the money. He's in South America by now, I expect, hunting for that treasure along with Señora Guzman and her father. "What will they do when they find it?" "Marry, and then, with heaps of money at their back,--I believe the treasure amounts to five millions sterling,--they will try and get back authority in Indiana." "What about Mrs. Narby?" "I intend to give her some money and send her to the States to rejoin her husband. Pope must be hanged: there's no help for it."