of whose death years ago he was aware. He returned to L---- a few days
afterwards, and in the dead of the night went to take up the casket and
the money. He found the purse with its contents undisturbed; but the lid
of the casket was unclosed. From the hasty glance he had taken of it
before burying it, it had seemed to him firmly locked,--he was alarmed
lest some one had been to the spot. But his Master whispered to him not
to mind, told him that he might now take the casket, and would be guided
what to do with it; that he did so, and, opening the lid, found the casket
empty-; that he took the rest of the money out of the purse, but that he
did not take the purse itself, for it had a crest and initials on it,
which might lead to the discovery of what had been done; that he therefore
left it in the hollow amongst the roots, heaping the mould over it as
before; that in the course of the day he heard the people at the inn talk
of the murder, and that his own first impulse was to get out of the town
immediately, but that his Master "made him too wise for that," and bade
him stay; that passing through the streets, he saw me come out of the
sash-window door, go to a stable-yard on the other side of the house,
mount on horseback and ride away; that he observed the sash-door was left
partially open; that he walked by it and saw the room empty; there was
only a dead wall opposite; the place was solitary, unobserved; that his
Master directed him to lift up the sash gently, enter the room, and
deposit the knife and the casket in a large walnut-tree bureau which
stood unlocked near the window. All that followed--his visit to Mr.
Vigors, his accusation against myself, his whole tale--was, he said,
dictated by his Master, who was highly pleased with him, and promised to
bring him safely through. And here he turned round with a hideous smile,
as if for approbation of his notable cleverness and respect for his high
employ.

Mr. Jeeves had the curiosity to request the keeper to inquire how, in what