Will you let us go over it and take a survey ?' 'Certainly; go where you like,' Frank said, struggling to reach the door; but Peterkin button-holed him and held him fast, while he continued: 'I say, Tracy, heard anything from them diamonds ?' 'Nothing,' was the reply.
'Didn't hunt in the right quarter,' Peterkin continued, 'leastwise didn't foller it up, or you'd a found 'em without so much advertisin'.' 'What do you mean ?' Frank asked.
'Oh, nothin',' Peterkin replied; 'only them diamonds never went off without hands, and them hands ain't a thousand miles from the park.' 'Perhaps not,' Frank answered, mechanically, more intent upon getting away than upon what Peterkin was saying.
He longed to be in the open air, and as he mounted his horse, he said, as if speaking to some one near him: 'Well, old fellow, I've done it again, and sunk myself still lower.

You are bound to get me now some day, unless I have a death-bed repentance and confess everything.

The thief was forgiven at the last hour, why not I ?' The black shadow which Frank felt sure was beside him, did not answer, though he could have sworn that he heard a chuckle as he rode on, fast and far, until his horse was tired and he was tired, too.

Then he began to retrace his steps, so slowly that it was dark when, he reached the village, and took the road which led by the gate through which the woman had passed to her death on the night of the storm.

It was the shortest route to the park, and he intended to take it.
As he drew near to the gate, it seemed to him that there was something on the wide post nearest the fence which had not been there in the afternoon when he rode by--something dark, and large, and peculiar in shape, and motionless as a stone.