“But tell me—”
“Hush! She has finished the song,” said Katrine, leaning back and clapping her hands softly. “Thank you, thank you,” she said. “Oh, what a while it is since I heard that dear old ballad.”
The evening wore away till bed-time, when the butler brought in and lit the candles, according to his custom, Katrine and Lydia taking theirs, and going at once, and Gerard Artis following after partaking of a glass of soda-water, leaving the old lawyer and Capel together.
They sat in silence for some minutes, when the old lawyer said:
“I do not seem to get any nearer to the unravelling of this knot, Mr Capel.”
“Do you still adhere to the opinion that the treasure was there?”
“Yes; and we shall find it soon.”
“By a masterly inactivity?”
“Oh, no,” replied the old man, “for I am taking steps of my own to redeem myself. I don’t think those jewels can be sold, or one of those notes changed, without word being brought to me.”
Capel felt won by the old man’s manner. He shook hands with him warmly, and said “Good-night.”