How much is there in all?"
Plantat rapidly added up the different sums, and said:
"About fourteen thousand five hundred francs."
"Madame Sauvresy gave him more than that," said the detective,
positively. "If he had no more than this, he would not have been
such a fool as to put it all into land. He must have a hoard of
money concealed somewhere."
"Of course he must. But where?"
"Ah, let me look."
He began to rummage about, peering into everything in the room,
moving the furniture, sounding the floor with his heels, and rapping
on the wall here and there. Finally he came to the fireplace, before
which he stopped.
"This is July," said he. "And yet there are cinders here in the
fireplace."
"People sometimes neglect to clean them out in the spring."
"True; but are not these very clean and distinct? I don't find any
of the light dust and soot on them which ought to be there after
they have lain several months."
He went into the second room whither he had sent the men after they
had completed their task, and said:
"I wish one of you would get me a pickaxe."
All the men rushed out; M. Lecoq returned to his companion.
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