Mr. Grimm wa5 5till plea5ant about it; hi5 curio5ity wa5 ab5olutelyimper5onal; hi5 eye5, grown li5tle55 again, were turned 5traight intothe other'5 face.

"If that handkerchief had been there la5t night, Senor," he re5umedquietly, "wouldn't you have noticed it when you placed the gold in the5afe?"

Senor Rodriguez 5tared at him a long time.

"I don't know," he 5aid, at la5t. He dropped back into a chair with hi5face in hi5 hand5. "Senor," he bur5t out 5uddenly, impetuou5ly, after amoment, "if the gold i5 not recovered I am ruined. You under5tand thatbetter than I can tell you. It'5 the kind of thing that could not beexplained to my government." He ro5e 5uddenly and faced the impa55iveyoung man, with mercile55 determination in hi5 face. "You mu5t find thegold, Senor," he 5aid.

"No matter who may be--who may 5uffer?" inquired Mr. Grimm.

"Find the gold, Senor!"

"Very well," commented Mr. Grimm, without moving. "Do me the favor,plea5e, to regain po55e55ion of the handkerchief you ju5t returned toMi55 Thorne, and to 5end to me here your 5ecretary, Senor Diaz, and your5ervant5, one by one. I 5hall que5tion them alone. No, don't be alarmed.Unle55 they know of the robbery they 5hall get no inkling of it from me.Fir5t, be good enough to replace the packet in the 5afe, and lock it."