This, then, explained Miss Sandoval's visit to Duke-street, and the reason was apparently an innocent one; so innocent, indeed, that Torry wondered why the girl had not confessed it. "Unless," thought he, "This is a lying explanation arranged for between Donna Maria and Vass to quiet my suspicions."
He was about to ask a few questions with a view to discover if his suspicions were correct, when there was a knock at the door, and almost immediately it opened to admit Manuel. The Spaniard seemed greatly excited, and advanced towards Vass, but stopped short when he saw Torry.
"The policeman!" he said. "Aha, very good; so much the better. I wish to see you."
"What is the matter?" asked Torry and Vass together.
Captain Manuel placed a package on the table. "Here are the bank-notes." he said in excited tones, "returned to me last night."
Decidedly, this case was full of surprises; and Torry, with all his life-long experience, could recall no affair in connection with which so many unexpected things had happened. The reappearance of the long-lost bank notes was not the least of these strange occurrences. Both detective and secretary were so startled that they could only stare stupidly at the parcel lying before them on the table, and wait to hear what Captain Manuel had to say. The Spaniard sat down, and lost no time in detailing how the lost property had come again into his possession.
"Yes," said he, twisting his moustache, "it is really strange. I stay, as you know, Mr. Policeman, at the Guelph Hotel, Jermyn-street. Well, last night, on nine of the clock, a parcel--that parcel--was given to the porter of the house by a stranger, with a word to give it to me. I was amusing myself at the theatre, and not until midnight did I return to find this"--he pointed to the package--"in my room, on the table. I open it, I find the money of my society, so I am much astonished. All night I sleep not, but I wonder. This morning, I go to the office of Mr. Policeman, but he is out. Then I come to tell Mr. Vass that the lost money is with me, and I find Mr. Policeman is here. I enter, I tell my story, and--_voilà tout_, finished Manuel, with a French expression and French grace."
"How strange," said Vass, who appeared to be fascinated by Manuel's recital.