"And all in vain, poor man," sighed Maria, "since he was killed by the society!"
"I don't believe he was," said Darrel bluntly.
"But the Mummy--the Blue Mummy?"
"What about the returned money, Miss Sandoval? Why should the society instruct Manuel, or Centa, to kill Grent and rob his body, then give back the money to itself? That's robbing Peter to pay Paul with a vengeance."
"So it is. I can't understand it at all."
"Then again," said Frank warming, "did you not take two tickets from the bank?"
"I don't know. Mr. Grent mentioned only one ticket, and it was in an envelope. But now you mention it, Mr. Darrel, the envelope was rather thick; there might have been two tickets."
"There were; one for Mr. Grent, the other for Miss Hargone. She had arranged to elope with Grent; at least, she fooled him into believing so, but instead of going she sent Julia Brawn, disguised in that fawn-coloured mantle. Then Grent was killed."
"By whom?" asked Maria, much agitated.
"I can't say. Perhaps that Centa you speak of got wind that Grent was bolting with the money to Italy, and followed to kill him. But who can tell? It is all a mystery."