CHAPTER X.
LORD SEAMORD'S FALSE FUNERAL.
The stealing of the body— The large reward—The tragical and mysterious disappearance—Death of Mdlle. Rousell—The dead lord comes to life in New York—The extraordinary disclosures.
"I never was so astonished in all my life!" said D——, the well known detective, whom I met accidentally in the Strand.
"I thought men of your experience were never surprised at anything," was my answer.
"But this is such a peculiar, out of the way case."
"It is not the loss of a dressing-case, then, nor a mysterious murder?"
"No, a body has unaccountably disappeared from the family vault!"
"That is an American trick," I replied. "How much money do they want for the safe return of the corpse?"
"None at all. Heavy rewards are offered, but without response. It does not appear to be a case of black-mailing."