"Precisely; and with it a letter stating that the money was to be paid by my uncle to another member of the society, called Centa--a man whom my uncle had never seen. Failing this, the letter said that Mr. Grent would be killed. Now," continued Maria, "My uncle was so terrified at the thought of being secretly assassinated--for he knew the power and recklessness of the society--that he resolved to obey this letter."
"How did he know that the letter was authentic?"
"By the Blue Mummy. Only members of the Peruvian Patriots possess these tomb-images, and they are not obtainable in England, or, for the matter of that, in Peru either."
"H'm! I suppose he was right to believe in the letter? Well, so he resolved to obey it, and hand the money over to this mysterious Centa?"
"Yes; but he wished to do so without letting Manuel know, as he was afraid lest Manuel, enraged at the want of faith shewn to him by the society, might take the law into his own hands, and assassinate him."
Darrel could not help laughing. "My dear lady," said he, "I am afraid Mr. Grent must have been a very credulous man. The law does not countenance wholesale murder in this country, whatever it may do in Peru."
"But you forget!" cried Donna Maria angrily. "My uncle's foreboding came true. He was murdered by the society, as the token of the Blue Mummy left beside him proves; but whether by Manuel or Centa I cannot say."
"Why," said Frank thoughtfully, "there is something in that; but we'll discuss the point later. Please continue."
"Well, Mr. Darrel, my uncle determined to take the money up to the bank in Fleet-Street, and put it in his private safe. Then he intended to write a letter to Manuel, asking him to call at his rooms in Duke-Street on Saturday afternoon. He designed to tell Manuel that the money was in the bank, and that if he wanted to see it there, he could ask Mr. Vass to show it to him. In the meantime I was to go to the bank on Saturday morning, on the pretence of getting the tickets for the journey, which had been purposely left behind, and get the money."
"But how were you to open the safe?"