Page:Adventures of Susan Hopley (Volume 1).pdf/107

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94
SUSAN HOPLEY.

it was signed; and not one only but two—and what's more, to my certain knowledge, master took one with him when he went away, and left the other at Oakfield; for I was myself in his dressing-room the last morning when he took one of them out of the escrutoir where they both lay, and put it into the portfolio just before I carried it down to the carriage."

"Then whoever took the money out of the portfolio took that also," said Susan.

"No doubt," answered Jeremy. "That's as plain as a pikestaff, though one can't see of what use it could be to them—but where's the other, Susan? That's the question. Master had his keys with him; and after Miss Wentworth came back, nobody ever opened the escrutoir till Mr. Rice and Mr. Franklyn, who were appointed trustees and executors, went to search for the will."

Again Susan thought of her dream; but as she had never mentioned it before, she felt that to do it now would be useless; and perhaps subject her to the suspicion of having invented it for the purpose of shifting the odium from her own family to others.

"As they can't find either," continued Jeremy, "people say he must have taken both with him; but I know better."