"like the magician's disappearing lady, or--or--! It was as though I had
not put the money into the safe at all!"

"Did you?" inquired Mr. Grimm amiably.

"Did I?" blazed Señor Rodriguez. "Why, Señor--! I did!" he concluded
meekly.

Mr. Grimm believed him.

"Who else knows the combination of the safe?" he queried.

"No one, Señor--not a living soul."

"Your secretary, for instance?"

"Not even my secretary."

"Some servant--some member of your family?"

"I tell you, Señor, not one person in all the world knew that
combination except myself," Señor Rodriguez insisted.

"Your secretary--a servant--some member of your family might have seen
you unlock the safe some time, and thus learned the combination?"

Señor Rodriguez did not quite know whether to be annoyed at Mr. Grimm's
persistence, or to admire the tenacity with which he held to this one
point.