oubtful, he examined his garments, and found in a purse under his
girdle the twenty crowns which he had destined for his mother.

"Ah, ah!" said Simon, laughing; "I had not all; I hear the sound of gold."

He put the twenty crowns with the rest of the money, and having satisfied
himself that no more remained on the person of Julio, he was about to
transfer the crowns to his pocket, when a sudden idea occurred to his
mind.

"If I leave all this money on his person, they might think he had been
paid to commit the deed; if I leave nothing, there will be no reason to
conclude that he killed the Signor Geronimo to rob him. I wonder how much
money Geronimo generally carried about him. I should suppose five or six
crowns, or perhaps ten. I will leave six crowns and all the small change.
And the keys? He must keep them, or, of course, he could not have entered
without my knowledge. But should he be roused to consciousness by the
death-agony, he might have sufficient strength to get out. I will leave
him all the keys but that of the outer building. Iron bars render the
place secure; he could not even enter the garden. Now I will put the phial
in his doublet--no, in the pocket of his girdle; it will be as easily
found. I will remove the bottles and everything which could indicate the
presence of two persons."

He locked up the bottles and glasses, arranged the chairs, and wiped up
the wine which had been spilled on the table and the floor.

While thus engaged, he muttered to himself:

"I must not remain longer. I myself must go to the bailiff and accuse
Julio of the murder. Shall I go this evening? No; they might come and find
him alive, and a powerful antidote might perhaps rouse him from sleep.
To-morrow, then--to-morrow morning. But how shall I explain the affair?
When and how did he reveal his crime? Night will suggest a means. All is
done. I will go home and appear calm and cheerful."

He threw his cloak around his shoulders, took the lamp from the table, and
walked to the door. There he stopped for a moment to contemplate his
victim and precipitately descended the staircase. At the foot of the steps
he extinguished the light, traversed the garden, opened the gate, and
disappeared in the darkness.

CHAPTER XI.

FOOD AT LAST--DEATH OF JULIO.

When Julio left the cellar for the purpose of procuring bread, Geronimo
cast himself on his knees, full of gratitude to God, to return thanks for
the unexpected delive