and it was concern for this six
thousand which had brought Dolores to the Manor this night when Jean
Jacques snored so loudly. The events of the day at "The Red Eagle" had
brought things to a crisis in the affairs of Carmen's father. It was a
foolish business that at the tavern--so, at any rate, he thought, when
it was all over, and he was awake to the fact that he must fly or go to
jail. From the time he had, with a bottle of gin, laid Valescure low,
Spain was the word which went ringing through his head, and the way to
Spain was by the Six Thousand Dollar Route, the New World terminal of
which was the cupboard in the wall at the Manor Cartier.

Little cared Sebastian Dolores that the theft of the money would mean
the end of all things for Jean Jacques Barbille-for his own daughter's
husband. He was thinking of himself, as he had always done.

He worked for two whole hours before he succeeded in quietly forcing
open the iron door in the wall; but it was done at last. Curiously
enough, Jean Jacques' snoring stopped on the instant that Sebastian
Dolores' fingers clutched the money; but it began cheerfully again when
the door in the wall closed once more.

Five minutes after Dolores had thrust the six thousand dollars into his
pocket, his horse was galloping away over the hills towards the River
St. Lawrence. If he had luck, he would reach it by the morning. As it
happened, he had the luck. Behind him, in the Manor Cartier, the man
who had had no luck and much philosophy, snored on till morning in
unconscious content.

It was a whole day before Jean Jacques discovered his loss. When he had
finished his lonely supper the next evening, he went to the cupboard in
his office to cheer himself with the sight of the six thousand dollars.
He felt that he must revive his spirits. They had been drooping all day,
he knew not why.

When he saw the empty pigeon-hole in the cupboard, his sight swam. It
was some time before it cleared, but, when it did, and he knew beyond
peradventure the crushing, everlasting truth, not a sound escaped him.
His heart stood still. His face filled with a panic confusion. He seemed
like one bereft of understanding.

CHAPTER XX. "AU 'VOIR, M'SIEU' JEAN JACQUES"

It is seldom that Justice travels as swiftly as Crime, and it is also
seldom that the luck is more with the law than with the criminal. It
took the parish of St. Saviour's so long to make up its mind who stole
Jean Jacques' six thousa