"Wal, as I was saying," he remarked, sitting down with a dogged
look, "Bolton intended to clear with the emeralds, but I guess
Sir Frank got ahead of him and packed him in that blamed case,
while he annexed the emeralds. He then took the manuscript,
which he looted from Bolton's corpse, and hid it among his books,
as you say, while he left the blamed mummy in the garden of the
old lady you talked about. I guess that's what I say."
"It's all theory," said Don Pedro in vexed tones.
"And there isn't a word of truth in it," said Lucy indignantly,
standing up for Frank Random.
"It ain't for me to contradict you, miss," said Hervey, who was
still humble, "but I ask you, if what I say ain't true, how did
that copy of the manuscript come to be in that aristocrat's
room?"
There was no reply made to this, and although every one present,
save Hervey, believed in Random's innocence, no one could
explain. The reply came after some further conversation, by the
appearance of the soldier himself in mess kit. He walked
unexpectedly into the room with Donna Inez on his arm, and at
once apologized to De Gayangos.
"I called to see you at the inn, sir," he said, "and as you were
not there, I brought your daughter along with me to explain about
the manuscript.
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