If that don't do I'll tell the police, and I shouldn't wonder,' went
on Slivers, musingly, 'I shouldn't wonder if they called on Madame
Midas.'
CHAPTER XV
SLIVERS IN SEARCH OF EVIDENCE
Slivers was puzzled over Villiers' disappearance, so he determined
to go in search of evidence against Madame Midas, though for what
reason he wanted evidence against her no one but himself--and
perhaps Billy--knew. But then Slivers always was an enigma regarding
his reasons for doing things, and even the Sphinx would have found
him a difficult riddle to solve.
The reasons he had for turning detective were simply these: It soon
became known that Madame Midas had been robbed by her husband of the
famous nugget, and great was the indignation of everyone against Mr
Villiers. That gentleman would have fared very badly if he had made
his appearance, but for some reason or another he did not venture
forth. In fact, he had completely disappeared, and where he was no
one knew. The last person who saw him was Barty Jarper, who left him
at the corner of Lydiard and Sturt Streets, when Mr Villiers had
announced his intention of going home. Mrs Cheedle, however,
asserted positively that she had never set eyes on him since the
time she stated to Slivers, and as it was now nearly two weeks since
he had disappeared things were beginning to look serious. The
generally received explanation was that he had bolted with the
nugget, but as he could hardly dispose of such a large mass of gold
without suspicion, and as the police both in Ballarat and Melbourne
had made inquiries, which proved futile, this theory began to lose
ground.
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