face. Then he continued: "Yes, someone would have found her, and
her suicide would have been a dark mystery, unless, of course,
malicious tongues would have found ugly reasons enough why a
beautiful young lady should hide herself in a lonely cottage to
take her own life."

Muller had spoken as if to himself. Egon Langen's lips, parted in
a smile so evil that Amster clenched his fists.

"And you would not have regretted this ruining the reputation as
well as taking the life of an innocent girl?" asked the detective
low and tense.

"No, for I hated her."

"You hated her because she was rich and innocent. She was very
charitable and would gladly have helped you if you were in need.
Beside this, you were entitled to a portion of your father's estate.
It is almost thirty thousand guldens, as Mr. Fellner tells me. Why
did you not take that?"

"Fellner did not know that I had already received twenty thousand
of this when my father turned me out. He probably would have heard
of it later, for Berner was the witness. I did not care for the
remaining ten thousand because I would have the entire fortune after
Asta's death. I would have seen the official notice and the call
for heirs in Australia, and would have written from there, announcing
that I was still alive. If you had come several days later I should
have been a rich man within a year."