Don　Caesar　up…stairs　into　the　drawing…room。　　The　alien　portrait　on
  the　wall　seemed　to　evidently　take　sides　with　Don　Caesar；　as　against
  the　common　intruder；　Mulrady。
  〃I　hoped　the　Senora　Mulrady　might　have　saved　me　this　interview；〃
  said　the　young　man；　stiffly；　〃or　at　least　have　given　you　some
  intimation　of　the　reason　why　I　seek　it。　　As　you　just　now　proposed
  my　talking　to　you　in　the　presence　of　the　unfortunate　Senor　Esslinn
  himself；　it　appears　she　has　not。〃
  〃I　don't　know　what　you're　driving　at；　or　what　Mrs。　Mulrady's　got　to
  do　with　Slinn　or　you；〃　said　Mulrady；　in　angry　uneasiness。
  〃Do　I　understand；〃　said　Don　Caesar；　sternly；　〃that　Senora　Mulrady
  has　not　told　you　that　I　entrusted　to　her　an　important　letter；
  belonging　to　Senor　Esslinn；　which　I　had　the　honor　to　discover　in
  the　wood　six　months　ago；　and　which　she　said　she　would　refer　to
  you？〃
  〃Letter？〃　echoed　Mulrady；　slowly；　〃my　wife　had　a　letter　of
  Slinn's？〃
  Don　Caesar　regarded　the　millionaire　attentively。　　〃It　is　as　I
  feared；〃　he　said；　gravely。　　〃You　do　not　know　or　you　would　not　have
  remained　silent。〃　　He　then　briefly　recounted　the　story　of　his
  finding　Slinn's　letter；　his　exhibition　of　it　to　the　invalid；　its
  disastrous　effect　upon　him；　and　his　innocent　discovery　of　the
  contents。　　〃I　believed　myself　at　that　time　on　the　eve　of　being
  allied　with　your　family；　Senor　Mulrady；〃　he　said；　haughtily；　〃and
  when　I　found　myself　in　the　possession　of　a　secret　which　affected
  its　integrity　and　good　name；　I　did　not　choose　to　leave　it　in　the
  helpless　hands　of　its　imbecile　owner；　or　his　sillier　children；　but
  proposed　to　trust　it　to　the　care　of　the　Senora；　that　she　and　you
  might　deal　with　it　as　became　your　honor　and　mine。　　I　followed　her
  to　Paris；　and　gave　her　the　letter　there。　　She　affected　to　laugh　at
  any　pretension　of　the　writer；　or　any　claim　he　might　have　on　your
  bounty；　but　she　kept　the　letter；　and；　I　fear；　destroyed　it。　　You
  will　understand；　Senor　Mulrady；　that　when　I　found　that　my
  attentions　were　no　longer　agreeable　to　your　daughter；　I　had　no
  longer　the　right　to　speak　to　you　on　the　subject；　nor　could　I；
  without　misapprehension；　force　her　to　return　it。　　I　should　have
  still　kept　the　secret　to　myself；　if　I　had　not　since　my　return　here
  made　the　nearer　acquaintance　of　Senor　Esslinn's　daughters。　　I
  cannot　present　myself　at　his　house；　as　a　suitor　for　the　hand　of　the
  Senorita　Vashti；　until　I　have　asked　his　absolution　for　my
  complicity　in　the　wrong　that　has　been　done　to　him。　　I　cannot；　as　a
  caballero；　do　that　without　your　permission。　　It　is　for　that　purpose
  I　am　here。〃
  It　needed　only　this　last　blow　to　complete　the　humiliation　that
  whitened　Mulrady's　face。　　But　his　eye　was　none　the　less　clear　and
  his　voice　none　the　less　steady　as　he　turned　to　Don　Caesar。
  〃You　know　perfectly　the　contents　of　that　letter？〃
  〃I　have　kept　a　copy　of　it。〃
  〃Come　with　me。〃
  He　preceded　his　visitor　down　the　staircase　and　back　into　his
  private　office。　　Slinn　looked　up　at　his　employer's　face　in
  unrestrained　anxiety。　　Mulrady　sat　down　at　his　desk；　wrote　a　few
  hurried　lines；　and　rang　a　bell。　　A　manager　appeared　from　the
  counting…room。
  〃Send　that　to　the　bank。〃
  He　wiped　his　pen　as　methodically　as　if　he　had　not　at　that　moment
  countermanded　the　order　to　pay　his　daughter's　dowry；　and　turned
  quietly　to　Slinn。
  〃Don　Caesar　Alvarado　has　found　the　letter　you　wrote　your　wife　on
  the　day　you　made　your　strike　in　the　tunnel　that　is　now　my　shaft。
  He　gave　the　letter　to　Mrs。　Mulrady；　but　he　has　kept　a　copy。〃
  Unheeding　the　frightened　gesture　of　entreaty　from　Slinn；　equally
  with　the　unfeigned　astonishment　of　Don　Caesar；　who　was　entirely
  unprepared　for　this　revelation　of　Mulrady's　and　Slinn's
  confidences；　he　continued；　〃He　has　brought　the　copy　with　him。　　I
  reckon　it　would　be　only　square　for　you　to　compare　it　with　what　you
  remember　of　the　original。〃
  In　obedience　to　a　gesture　from　Mulrady；　Don　Caesar　mechanically
  took　from　his　pocket　a　folded　paper；　and　handed　it　to　the
  paralytic。　　But　Slinn's　trembling　fingers　could　scarcely　unfold　the
  paper；　and　as　his　eyes　fell　upon　its　contents；　his　convulsive　lips
  could　not　articulate　a　word。
  〃P'raps　I'd　better　read　it　for　you；〃　said　Mulrady；　gently。　　〃You
  kin　follow　me　and　stop　me　when　I　go　wrong。〃
  He　took　the　paper；　and；　in　dead　silence；　read　as　follows：
  〃DEAR　WIFE；I've　just　struck　gold　in　my　tunnel；　and　you　must　get
  ready　to　come　here　with　the　children；　at　once。　　It　was　after　six
  months'　hard　work；　and　I'm　so　weak　I　。　。　。　　It's　a　fortune　for　us
  all。　　We　should　be　rich　even　if　it　were　only　a　branch　vein　dipping
  west　towards　the　next　tunnel；　instead　of　dipping　east；　according　to
  my　theory〃
  〃Stop！〃　said　Slinn；　in　a　voice　that　shook　the　room。
  Mulrady　looked　up。
  〃It's　wrong；　ain't　it？〃　he　asked；　anxiously；　〃it　should　be　EAST
  towards　the　next　tunnel。〃
  〃No！　　IT'S　RIGHT！　　I　am　wrong！　　We're　all　wrong！〃
  Slinn　had　risen　to　his　feet；　erect　and　inspired。　　〃Don't　you　see；〃
  he　almost　screamed；　with　passionate　vehemence；　〃it's　MASTERS'
  ABANDONED　TUNNEL　your　shaft　has　struck？　　Not　mine！　　It　was　Masters'
  pick　you　found！　　I　know　it　now！〃
  〃And　your　own　tunnel？〃　said　Mulrady；　springing　to　his　feet　in
  excitement。　　〃And　YOUR　strike？〃
  〃Is　still　there！〃
  The　next　instant；　and　before　another　question　could　be　asked；　Slinn
  had　darted　from　the　room。　　In　the　exaltation　of　that　supreme
  discovery　he　regained　the　full　control　of　his　mind　and　body。
  Mulrady　and　Don　Caesar；　no　less　excited；　followed　him　precipitately；
  and　with　difficulty　kept　up　with　his　feverish　speed。　　Their　way　lay
  along　the　base　of　the　hill　below　Mulrady's　shaft；　and　on　a　line　with
  Masters'　abandoned　tunnel。　　Only　once　he　stopped　to　snatch　a　pick
  from　the　hand　of　an　astonished　Chinaman　at　work　in　a　ditch；　as　he
  still　kept　on　his　way；　a　quarter　of　a　mile　beyond　the　shaft。　　Here
  he　stopped　before　a　jagged　hole　in　the　hillside。　　Bared　to　the　sky
  and　air；　the　very　openness　of　its　abandonment；　its　unpropitious
  position；　and　distance　from　the　strike　in　Mulrady's　shaft　had　no
  doubt　preserved　its　integrity　from　wayfarer　or　prospector。
  〃You　can't　go　in　there　alone；　and　without　a　light；〃　said　Mulrady；
  laying　his　hand　on　the　arm　of　the　excited　man。　　〃Let　me　get　more
  help　and　proper　tools。〃
  〃I　know　every　step　in　the　dark　as　in　the　daylight；〃　returned　Slinn；
  struggling。　　〃Let　me　go；　while　I　have　yet　strength　and　reason！
  Stand　aside！〃
  He　broke　from　them；　and　the　next　moment　was　swallowed　up　in　the
  yawning　blackness。　　They　waited　with　bated　breath　until；　after　a
  seeming　eternity　of　night　and　silence；　they　heard　his　returning
  footsteps；　and　ran　forward　to　meet　him。　　As　he　was　carrying
  something　clasped　to　his　breast；　they　supported　him　to　the　opening。
  But　at　the　same　moment　the　object　of　his　search　and　his　burden；　a
  misshapen　wedge　of　gold　and　quartz；　dropped　with　him；　and　both　fell
  together　with　equal　immobility　to　the　ground。　　He　had　still
  strength　to　turn　his　fading　eyes　to　the　other　millionaire　of　Rough…
  and…Ready；　who　leaned　over　him。
  〃Yousee；〃　he　gasped；　brokenly；　〃I　was　notcrazy！〃
  No。　　He　was　dead！
  End