"What has Mr. Richard Maynadier to do with the proposition?" she said, coldly.
"I do not know—it is for you to answer."
"There is no answer," she replied, looking him straight in the eyes.
He bowed and kissed her hand.
"As you wish, my lady," he said, making no effort to repress his smile; "as you wish."
A little later, he sought his chamber for his walking-stick. As he came down the corridor, he bethought himself of something he wanted to tell Mr. Marbury. He went over to the door of his room and rapped—then, rapped again, more briskly. The door, which had not been latched, opened and swung slowly back. Marbury was not in, but the bags, containing the ransom money, were standing on a table.
He stopped and, casually, glanced around; no one was about. He listened; all was quiet on the second floor. He tiptoed to the stairway and looked down; no one was visible in the hall below. He went back, and stood, uncertain, a moment. Then, he walked straight in to Marbury's room, swiftly untied the bags, took several handfuls of gold from each, retied them, went out, closed the door behind him, and descended to the party on the lawn.
Marbury would likely put the money away without inspecting it—and, if he did count it, the noble Englishman could not be suspected.