Senor, you are mistaken! There can be nothing--! A woman!
Two hundred pounds of gold! Senor!"

Mr. Grimm was still pleasant about it; his curiosity was absolutely
impersonal; his eyes, grown listless again, were turned straight into
the other's face.

"If that handkerchief had been there last night, Senor," he resumed
quietly, "wouldn't you have noticed it when you placed the gold in the
safe?"

Senor Rodriguez stared at him a long time.

"I don't know," he said, at last. He dropped back into a chair with his
face in his hands. "Senor," he burst out suddenly, impetuously, after a
moment, "if the gold is not recovered I am ruined. You understand that
better than I can tell you. It's the kind of thing that could not be
explained to my government." He rose suddenly and faced the impassive
young man, with merciless determination in his face. "You must find the
gold, Senor," he said.

"No matter who may be--who may suffer?" inquired Mr. Grimm.

"Find the gold, Senor!"

"Very well," commented Mr. Grimm, without moving. "Do me the favor,
please, to regain possession of the handkerchief you just returned to
Miss Thorne, and to send to me here your secretary, Senor Diaz, and your
servants, one by one. I shall question them alone. No, don't be alarmed.
Unless they know of the robbery they shall get no inkling of it from me.
First, be good enough to replace the packet in the safe, and lock it."

Senor Rodriguez replaced the packet without question, afterward locking
the door, then went out. A moment later Senor Diaz appeared. He remained
with Mr. Grimm for just eight minutes. Senor Rodriguez entered again as
his secretary passed on, and laid a lace handkerchief on the desk. Mr.
Grimm stared at it curiously for a long time.

"It's the same handkerchief?"

"_Si, Senor_."

"There's no doubt whatever about it?"

"No, Senor, I got it by--!"

"It's of no consequence," interrupted Mr. Grimm. "Now the servants,
please--the men first."

The first of the men servants was in the room two minutes; the
second--the butler--was there five minutes; one of the women was not
questioned at all; the other remained ten minutes. Mr. Grimm followed
her into the hall; Senor Rodriguez stood there helpless, impatient.

"Well?" he demanded eagerly.

"I'm going out a little while," replied Mr. Grimm placidly. "No one has
even an intimation of the affair--please keep the matter absolutely to
yourself until I return."

That was all. The