"But it is, Miss Sandoval. Captain Manuel has the money now in his possession."
"Then the assassin of my uncle has been arrested?"
"No, I'm sorry to say he has----"
"Not arrested?" cried Donna Maria, her colour rising and her eyes sparkling, "and the money returned?"
"The money was returned by an unknown man," said Frank, "and he went away after delivering the parcel of notes at Captain Manuel's hotel."
"Then that was the assassin. He took the money from my uncle's dead body. In fact, I believe he killed Mr. Grent in order to rob him."
"But how can that be?" cried Darrel, much perplexed. "Mr. Grent left the money in his private safe, and did not come back to get it. How could he have been in possession of the money on that night?"
Maria passed her hand across her forehead and sighed. "True! True! What am I to do? Oh,"--she wrung her hands--"If I could only speak!"
"You must speak," said Frank, seizing his opportunity, "or else condemn an innocent man."
"An innocent man? Who?"