"That can't be found, and there's no memorandum amongst the papers of Strode likely to say where it is. I expect he brought the money home from Africa in the form of diamonds, and hid them somewhere." Miss Lorry changed colour. "Oh," she said thoughtfully, and then went on rapidly, "If this forty thousand pounds comes to Miss Strode, I suppose she'd marry Hill." "Rather. She seems very fond of him." "He's worth being fond of! he's a man I tell you, Saltars. Humph! I wonder if the money can be found?" "There doesn't seem to be much chance." "Do you think the money is locked up in diamonds?" "It might be. As no money was found, Strode might have brought home his fortune in that form." "I read the papers about the inquest," said Miss Lorry, staring at the ground; "what about that lawyer?" "Mask? Oh, he knows nothing. He said so at the inquest." "I wonder if the wooden hand has anything to do with the matter?" "Well," said Saltars, rising and yawning, "it was certainly stolen, so it would seem it had a value. Of course if the hand was sent to Mask it was to be a sign that he had to give up any money he might have. It might have been stolen for that purpose." "Yes, and the man might have been murdered to obtain possession of it." "I don't think so. If Strode had been murdered on that account, the hand would have been stolen when the body was lying in the Red Deeps." "It was stolen when it lay in the cottage," said Miss Lorry, "I remember. And Mask said that he had no money of Strode's, so there's not much use of the hand being sent to him. It's all very queer." "Do you intend to try and unravel the mystery of the death?" "Why not? I'd like that girl married to Hill and out of my way. I don't intend to let her marry you. So good-night," and Miss Lorry marched off without a word more. CHAPTER XIV SIGNOR ANTONIO Cain Merry was a particular pet of Miss Lorry's, and the lad felt grateful to her for the attention. He admired her exceedingly, and at one time had fancied himself in love with her. But Miss Lorry, experienced in admirers, laughed at him the moment she descried the early symptoms, and told him she was old enough to be his mother. It was creditable to Cain that he took the hint thus given, and devoted himself to Jane Wasp, with whom he had been in love ever since they attended the same board school. And after his passing fancy for Miss Lorry, the lad's love for the policeman's daughter became even more marked, much to the joy of Jane, who adored the dark-eyed scamp, and lost no opportunity of meeting him.