e we go into that, let me
understand exactly what these interests are. Mr. Vaughan's estate I
understand, is a large one."

Silva shrugged his shoulders.

"I have understood so," he said, "but I know nothing about it, beyond
what Mr. Vaughan himself told me."

"What was that?"

"That it was his intention to give this place as a monastery for the
study of our religion, and to endow it."

"Did he mention the amount of the endowment?"

"He asked me, not long ago, if a million dollars would be sufficient."

"Had he drawn up a deed of gift?"

"I do not know."

"Or made a will?"

Again Silva shrugged indifferently to indicate that he was also
ignorant on that point, and I turned to Miss Vaughan.

"If there is a will," I asked, "where would it probably be?"

"There is a safe here," she said, "in which my father kept his papers
of value," and she went to the wall and swung out a hinged section of
shelving. The door of a safe appeared behind it.

I approached and looked at it, then tried the door, but it was locked.

"To open this, we must know the combination," I said; "or else we
shall have to get an expert."

"I know the combination," she broke in; "it is ..."

But I stopped her.

"My dear Miss Vaughan," I laughed, "one doesn't go around proclaiming
the combination of a safe. How do you happen to know it?"

"My father often had me open the safe for him."

"Does anyone else know it?"

"I do not think so."

"Well, suppose we see what is in the safe," I suggested, and, as she
knelt before it, turned away. I, at least, did not wish to know the
combination. That Silva already knew it I accepted as certain.

I heard the twirling of the knob, and a sharp click as the bolts were
thrown back. Then I walked to Miss Vaughan's side and knelt beside
her. The interior of the safe was divided into the usual compartments,
one of them equipped with a Yale lock. The key was in the lock, and I
turned it, swung the little door open, and drew out the drawer which
lay behind it.

"If there is a will, it is probably here," I said; "let us see," and I
carried the drawer over to the light.

Miss Vaughan followed me, but Silva had sunk back into his chair, and
was staring abstractedly through the open door out into the darkness,
as though our proceedings interested him not at all. Then, as I looked
into the drawer, I gave a little gasp of astonishment, for it was
almost filled with packets of bills. There were five of t