Page:The Mystery of the Sea.djvu/289

Rh not feel the same concern. Marjory would have been concerned if the danger had been to anyone else; but she was not habituated to be anxious about herself. Besides, she was young; and the antagonist was a man; and haughty and handsome, and interesting.

In the afternoon we completed our arrangements for the visit to the treasure cave. We both felt the necessity for pressing on this matter, since the existence of the secret writing was known to Don Bernardino. He had not hesitated to speak openly, though he did not know of course the extent of our own knowledge of the subject, of a grave duty which he had undertaken from hereditary motives, or of the tragic consequences which might ensue. It was whilst we were speaking of the possibility of his being able to decipher the cryptogram, that Marjory suddenly said:

"Did you understand exactly why I asked you to give him the paper at once?"

"Far be it from me" I answered "to profess to understand exactly the motives of any charming woman."

"Not even when she tells you herself?"

"Ah! then the real mystery only begins!" I said bowing. She smiled as she replied:

"You and I are both fond of mysteries. So I had better tell you at once. That man doesn't know the secret. I am sure of it. He knows there is a secret; and he knows a part, but only a part. That eager look wouldn't have been in his eye if he had known already. I daresay there is, somewhere, some duplicate of what the original Don Bernardino put down in his story. And of course there must be some allusion to the treasure in the secret records at Simancas or the Quirinal or the Vatican. Neither the kings of Spain nor the Popes would let such a treasure pass out of mind. Indeed it is possible that there is some key or clue to it which he holds. Did you notice