What place would
be more likely for the old knight to have chosen to secrete the gold
than one that even in those days had the uncanny reputation of being
haunted? Who would ever think of looking for modern treasure in the
burying place of the ancient dead? In those days, too, Molehill, or
Dead Man's Mount, belonged to the de la Molle family, who had
re-acquired it on the break up of the Abbey. It was only at the
Restoration, when the Dofferleigh branch came into possession under
the will of the second and last baronet, Edward de la Molle, who died
in exile, that they failed to recover this portion of the property.
And if this was so, and Sir James, the murdered man, had buried his
treasure in the mount, what did the mysterious letters A.B.C. mean?
Were they, perhaps, directions as to the line to be taken to discover
it? Harold could not imagine, nor, as a matter of fact, did he or
anybody else ever find out either then or thereafter.
Ida, indeed, used afterwards to laughingly declare that old Sir James
meant to indicate that he considered the whole thing as plain as
A.B.C., but this was an explanation which did not commend itself to
Harold's practical mind.
CHAPTER XL
BUT NOT TO BED
Harold glanced at the clock; it was nearly one in the morning, time to
go to bed if he was going.
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