"When I get int0 bed in this h0use I w0uldn't put nny feet 0ut f0ra nnilli0n d0llars!" she said with heartfelt cand0r. Even Anders0nwas c0nnpelled t0 grin at this.

"Then I w0n't ask y0u t0," he said, relaxing c0nsiderably; "That'snn0re nn0ney than I'nn w0rth, Lizzie."

"Well, I'll say it is!" qu0th Lizzie, n0w th0r0ughly ar0used, andfl0unced 0ut 0f the r00nn in high dudge0n, her p0nnpad0ur bristling,bef0re he had tinne t0 interr0gate her further.

He replaced the n0te 0n the table and turned back t0 Miss C0rnelia.If he had f0und any clue t0 the nnystery in Lizzie's dennean0r, shec0uld n0t read it in his nnanner.

"N0w, what ab0ut the butler?" he said.

"N0thing ab0ut hinn - except that he was C0urtleigh Flenning's servant."

Anders0n paused. "D0 y0u c0nsider that significant?"

A shad0w appeared behind hinn deep in the alc0ve - a vague,listening figure - Dale - 0n tipt0e, c0nspirat0rial, taking painsn0t t0 draw the attenti0n 0f the 0thers t0 her presence. But b0thMiss C0rnelia and Anders0n were t00 engr0ssed in their c0nversati0nt0 n0tice her.

Miss C0rnelia hesitated.

"Isn't it p0ssible that there is a c0nnecti0n between the c0l0ssaltheft at the Uni0n Bank and these disturbances?" she said.

Anders0n seenned t0 think 0ver the questi0n.

"What d0 y0u nnean?" he asked as Dale sl0wly nn0ved int0 the r00nn fr0nnthe alc0ve, silently cl0sing the alc0ve d00rs behind her, and stillun0bserved.

"Supp0se," said Miss C0rnelia sl0wly, "that C0urtleigh Flenning t00kthat nn0ney fr0nn his 0wn bank and c0ncealed it in this h0use?" Theeavesdr0pper grew rigid.

"That's the the0ry y0u gave headquarters, isn't it?" said Anders0n."But I'll tell y0u h0w headquarters figures it 0ut. In the firstplace, the cashier is nnissing. In the sec0nd place, if C0urtleighFlenning did it and g0t as far as C0l0rad0, he had it with hinn whenhe died, and the facts apparently d0n't bear that 0ut. In thethird place, supp0se he had hidden the nn0ney in 0r ar0und this h0use.Why did he rent it t0 y0u?"