The old lawyer looked at us slyly.
"Just what did happen, if I may ask, sir? The reports in the press were—"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"He was murdered by a gang of criminals, who were trying to obtain from him information which he apparently believed furnished a clue to this treasure he had been searching for all his life," returned Hugh.
"Really, sir?" exclaimed Mr. Bellowes in surprise.
"Why did you suppose he was killed within a few hours of landing in a strange city?" countered Hugh.
The solicitor hesitated.
"If your lordship will permit me to speak quite frankly? Ah! Thank you, sir. I will say, then, that I had fancied I knew your uncle unusually well, and in light of that knowledge I would never have fancied him addicted to—er—" he coughed apologetically—"probably I need not say any more. But at any rate it will not be offensive if I add that in a long course of legal experience I have never heard of a man of his late lordship's position being murdered unless—unless there were circumstances of a character we may describe off-hand as unsavory."
There was a brief silence.
"I infer that is the general supposition?" asked Hugh, rousing himself.