"So you'd rather that the treasure stayed buried?"
"Not exactly. But he tossed ash from the end of his cigar to illustrate offhandedness. "I think I could promise ten per cent. of it to whoever brought us exact information of its whereabouts before the maharajah could lay his hands on it."
"I'll tell that to my husband."
"Do."
"Of course, being in a way in partnership with Gungadhura, he might—"
"Let me give you one word of caution, if I may without offense. We— our government—wouldn't recognize the right of—of any one to take that treasure out of the country. Ten per cent. would be the maximum, and that only in case of accurate information brought in time to us."
"Aren't findings keepings? Isn't possession nine points of the law?" laughed Tess.
"In certain cases, yes. But not where government knows of the existence somewhere of a hoard of public funds—an enormous hoard—it must run into millions."
"Then, if the maharajah should find it would you take it from him?"
"No. We would put the screws on, and force him to administer the fund properly if we knew about it. But he'd never tell."