quarry he poured away the
rest of what was in the flask.

"If he had but swallowed it," he muttered fiercely between his teeth, "I
should have been two hundred pounds richer, and safe!"

When he went to the office in the morning, one of the under clerks told
him that Mr Burke was dead, and Mr Burrows was wanted to go over as
soon as he could.

"All right," said Daireh, "I will tell him when he comes. Where are
those papers about the Ballyhoonish Estates? In his private room, I
think."

He passed in, and without hesitation took out a pass key which unlocked
a drawer where all the keys of the deed boxes were. Selecting that
belonging to the Burke box, he opened it; took out the will, put it in
his pocket; locked, and replaced the box; put the keys back in the
drawer, and locked _that_, and walked out with the documents he had
spoken of under his arm. It had not taken him more than three minutes
to do the whole thing.

His plan was this. He had now both wills in his possession. He did not
exactly know where Stephen Philipson was to be found, but he was sure to
turn up now, and he would make terms with him for destroying the second
will and producing the first, which was in his favour. But he would not
destroy the second will, but keep it to extort more money out of him
with it. Also, if Philipson were to die--and his habits were such that
he was not likely to be long lived--he would find out Mary Forsyth or
Reginald Kavanagh, the persons interested, and see what they would give
for the document, the loss of which had disinherited them.

When Mr Burrows came in and received the news of Mr Burke's death, his
first idea was to open the deed box bearing his name, to see if there
was a will there. Finding none, he called Daireh, and asked him if he
knew of any such document. Yes, Daireh said, he did; he had witnessed
one not so many months ago. He fancied Mr Burke had taken it away with
him, but he was not sure. It might be well to look in the deed box.
Mr Burrows had already done that? Ah, then, no doubt Mr Burke _had_
taken it. Had made another since, very likely; he believed Mr Burke
was constantly altering his mind about the disposal of his property.
But no doubt Mr Burrows would find a will among the papers at the
house.

But Mr Burrows didn't, and Daireh, as he went home that evening, bought
a large piece of oil silk, in which he afterwards wrapped each of the
two wills separately. Then he spent a