“It’s hard to see how a white man could make use of such poisonous colored trash,” Jake remarked. “But I expect you don’t want me, and I’ll see what Don Sebastian is doing.”
He left them, and there was silence for a few moments until the screw began to throb and they heard the wash of water along the steamer’s side. Then Kenwardine said quietly, “Fuller has tact. There’s a matter that concerns us both that has not been mentioned yet. I’ll clear the ground by stating that although our Spanish friend has not decided what he means to do, I shall not go back to Santa Brigida. I imagine this will remove an obstacle from your way.”
“Thanks for the lead,” Dick answered. “I resolved, some time ago, to marry Clare if she would have me, though I saw that it would mean separating her from you.”
“And yet you believed she stole your papers!”
“I thought she did,” Dick answered doggedly. “Still, I didn’t blame her.”
“You blamed me? But you ought to be satisfied, in one respect, because Clare and I are separated, and I’ll own that I’m anxious about her future. Had things gone well, I would have tried to keep her away from you; in fact, I did try, because I frankly think she might have made a better marriage. For all that, if you are determined and she is willing, you have my consent. You will probably never be very rich, but I could trust Clare to you.”
“Very well. I can tell you something you may be glad to hear. Clare did not rob you, nor did I.”
Dick looked at him with keen relief. “Then who took the plans?”
“Your cousin. The pocket they were in was unbuttoned when he took hold of you and hurried you out of the house. He brought them to me afterwards, but I saw they were not valuable and destroyed them.”